Hobbling Cavs await feisty HU
Low-post injuries could mean extended floor time for Scott
Wednesday, Dec 19, 2007 - 12:10 AM
By JEFF WHITE
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- When last we saw the University of Virginia men's basketball team on the court, Dec. 7 against Longwood, three of Dave Leitao's players were injured and in street clothes on the bench.

Coming out of final exams, the Cavaliers aren't much healthier. The 2007-08 debuts of center Tunji Soroye (knee) and swingman Solomon Tat (groin) remain on hold, and centers Ryan Pettinella (leg) and Laurynas Mikalauskas (shoulder) and reserve point guard Sammy Zeglinski (ankle) are ailing, too.

"We're still trying to manage ourselves as best we can through a bunch of injuries," Leitao, Virginia's third-year coach, said yesterday.

Healthy or not, U.Va. (7-2) returns to action tonight against Hampton (5-4) at John Paul Jones Arena. Jeff Boyer recently was replaced as the athletic trainer for men's basketball and re-assigned to men's soccer, but Leitao said he attributes the rash of injuries to bad luck and doesn't believe he needs to alter his team's workout or practice routines.

"I'm not a doctor or trainer or anything like that," Leitao said, "but we've done basically the same thing that we've done every year without having those injuries. And I'm not talking about last year or the year before. I'm talking about going back 10 years. I don't think the tone of preparation or the tone of practices has changed at all. I just think we're not as fortunate as we have been in the past."

Some will look at tonight's pairing -- ACC versus Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference -- and dismiss it as a mismatch. The Wahoos, after all, beat the Pirates by 22 points last season despite playing the final 24:43 without Leitao, who was ejected after receiving his second technical foul. But this Hampton team has beaten Virginia Commonwealth and lost by only four at Maryland and at George Mason this season.

"We have a good basketball team," said the Pirates' second-year coach, Kevin Nickelberry, a former Clemson assistant. "We can stop people, and we're as athletic as anybody we play against."

In Rashad West, the reigning MEAC player of the week, Hampton has a player capable of challenging U.Va.'s all-ACC point guard, Sean Singletary. West, a 6-1 senior, leads the Pirates in scoring, and he's "as much of an assassin on the basketball court as I've ever coached," Nickelberry said.

As one-sided as Hampton's game against U.Va. was last season, Nickelberry believes it will help his team tonight.

"I think the second time around gives you a comfort level," he said. "There's not going to be any shock factor. The arena's very nice, but there's not going to be any 'wow' factor."

Leitao didn't rule out Pettinella or Mikalauskas for tonight's game, but with both slowed by injuries, Mike Scott is likely to get extended time at center. The 6-8, 233-pound freshman is a natural forward, but he's proven capable of playing in the low post.

"It wasn't like I started out planning for him to do that," Leitao said. "He kind of fell into that, and it's worked thus far. Long term, I don't know that that's the solution, because I think he has a size disadvantage, particularly when we get into [ACC play]. But Hampton does not have a traditional post player that would hurt him or us that way."

 

U.Va. wary of HU's defense
Banged-up Cavaliers are itching to get back on the court after a 12-day layoff.
BY MELINDA WALDROP | Daily Press
6:02 PM EST, December 18, 2007
 

CHARLOTTESVILLE - Dave Leitao didn't look like a man in the holiday spirit Tuesday.

Virginia's basketball coach tiredly rubbed his face as he regarded a group of reporters at John Paul Jones Arena. One mentioned that the last time Leitao faced a large media contingent, he hadn't been happy with the way things had gone in a 70-68 loss Dec. 5 to Syracuse.

"Still not," Leitao responded.

Injuries, and the haphazard practice schedule they've generated, had the coach feeling a bit bah-humbug.

Virginia's post has been hit particularly hard, with a leg injury to 6-foot-9 Ryan Pettinella and a shoulder problem for 6-8 Lars Mikalauskas. And guard Sammy Zeglinski is nursing a bum ankle.

That's on top of the knee surgery that sidelined center Tunji Soroye before the season started, and the sports hernia that has kept guard Solomon Tat from playing.

Leitao said Soroye and Tat have made progress in practice and hopes Soroye can participate in contact drills in a week, but "with everybody else, we're still pretty snakebit," he said. "We are still trying to manage ourselves as best we can through a bunch of injuries. We've cut back the amount of time that we've been on the court."

The carnage may result in 6-8 freshman forward Mike Scott playing center against Hampton tonight. But regardless of who plays where, the Cavs (7-2) will need a better offensive flow than they demonstrated against Syracuse, and they've worked on finding one in the 12-day layoff since a 76-57 win against Longwood on Dec. 7.

"We're trying to get back to basics," Leitao said. "... Defensively, we've got to continue to develop the kind of trust and understanding that defensive teams have to have, and then (we're) reviewing offensively what our purpose is and what we're trying to do out there."

The Pirates (5-4) seem to have the defensive part down pat. Hampton, coming off Saturday's 55-48 win against St. Bonaventure, is allowing opponents just 55.9 points per game, tied for 13th in the nation.

"They are very aggressive in their attitude and how they play the game," Leitao said. "They bring a lot of different things to the table that you have to prepare for, multiple defenses, multiple offensive sets, different combinations."

St. Bonaventure shot just 28 percent against Hampton. Forward Michael Lee, who came into the game 24th in the country with 21 points per game, was held to four.

"We feel right now, with our defense, that we're gonna have a chance to win every night," Pirates coach Kevin Nickelberry said. "... We've done a good job of shutting down opponents' better players this year."

Against Virginia, that means stopping Sean Singletary. Weakened by the flu and held to just 10 points against Syracuse, Singletary -- Virginia's leading scorer with 19.3 points per game -- rebounded with 21 against Longwood.

Leitao said Singletary, like his teammates, is eager to get back on the court. And the Pirates know an impressive return by U.Va.'s senior guard will help fix what's ailing the Cavs.

"If Singletary has a big game, we won't have a shot to win," Nickelberry said.

 

Cavs set for return to court
By Whitelaw Reid / wreid@dailyprogress.com | 978-7250
December 18, 2007

Less than two minutes into his Tuesday morning press conference, Virginia coach Dave Leitao used the phrase “snake-bitten” to describe his team. Leitao was discussing UVa’s rash of injuries.

Luckily, Leitao probably has the most depth of any team he has coached in his Virginia tenure. Also on a positive note: UVa does not open ACC play until Jan. 13.

Tonight, Virginia (7-2) hosts Hampton (5-4) of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. The Cavaliers, who are 10-0 against teams from the MEAC, will probably not need their full allotment of players.

But don’t tell Leitao that.

“They’re very, very aggressive … in their attitude and how they play the game,” said Leitao, when asked about Hampton. “They bring a lot of different things to the table that you have to prepare for - multiple defense, offensive sets, different combinations.”

As far as December non-conference games go, tonight is a big one for Virginia. It’s been 12 days since UVa’s sloppy win over Longwood, and it will be interesting to see what tweaks Leitao has made.

“We’ve tried to get back to basics and make up for some lost practice time in terms of continuing to teach and ultimately trust what we’re doing,” Leitao said.

One of the focuses: taking better care of the ball. Virginia committed an outlandish 21 turnovers against Longwood.

Shot selection was another bugaboo. Against an undersized Lancers squad, UVa may have jacked up too many 3-pointers (23 of their 56 shot attempts were from behind the arc).

Tonight, Virginia should be able to get some easier scoring chances. Hampton isn’t very formidable in the paint.

However, UVa might not be, either. Both Ryan Pettinella and Lars Mikalauskas have been injured and unable to practice the last couple of days. Pettinella has a shin injury, while Mikalauskas has a shoulder problem that can’t be completely fixed until the offseason when he can have surgery.

Leitao sounded optimistic that sophomore Jerome Meyinsse can step in if need be.

“He’s always been a hard worker,” Leitao said, “and I think he’s developed enough confidence offensively where he feels like he can contribute that way, and I’m confident that he can.”

Mike Scott is another possibility. At 6-foot-8, the freshman is more forward than center, but he has shown an ability to mix it up down low.

“Long-term, I don’t know if that’s the solution because he has a size disadvantage, particularly when you get into the league season,” Leitao said, “but Hampton doesn’t have a traditional post player, so we could get away with him almost exclusively at the ‘5’ if that’s what we choose to do.”

In the backcourt, Virginia will likely be without Sammy Zeglinski, who recently reinjured his ankle.

Leitao was asked if there was anything that could have been done, in hindsight, to prevent some of the team’s injuries from occurring.

“I’m not a doctor or a trainer or anything like that,” he said, “but we’ve done basically the same thing that we’ve done every year.

“I don’t think the tone of preparation or practice has changed at all. I think we’re just not as fortunate as we have been in the past.”

Dunks

Leitao said Tunji Soroye (knee) and Solomon Tat (sports hernia) have made “pretty good progress” with their injuries. Leitao said Soroye could be back for the Dec. 30 game versus Hartford or on Jan. 3 at Xavier. He said Tat is more up in the air. … Virginia has won all three meetings with Hampton, including a 91-69 victory last season. … Hampton is coming off a win over St. Bonaventure.

 

Albert's decision: Go? Stay?
Cavaliers' standout offensive lineman hasn't picked a path
Wednesday, Dec 19, 2007 - 12:06 AM

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- Yes, he's discussed his NFL options with Al Groh, his coach at the University of Virginia. No, Branden Albert told reporters yesterday, his mind is not made up.

"I go back and forth," said Albert, the Cavaliers' all-ACC offensive guard.

The 6-7, 312-pound junior must choose by the middle of next month between a final season at U.Va. and early entry into the NFL draft. His advisers include Groh, who spent a decade on NFL coaching staffs, and Albert's brother, Ashley Sims, a former defensive end at the University of Maryland.

"It hasn't been a distraction," Albert said. "My brother keeps me pretty grounded. I keep myself grounded. A lot of people are calling me, asking me questions. I'm not worried about that too much right now. It is a decision I will have to make in the near future, but right now I'm worried about Texas Tech."

The Cavaliers (9-3) meet the Red Raiders (8-4) in the Gator Bowl on New Year's Day in Jacksonville, Fla.

Albert has not submitted his paperwork to the NFL advisory committee that predicts where underclassmen might be drafted if they leave school early. He's not likely to do so, said Albert, who recently was named a third-team All-American by The Associated Press.

"I would rather go off Coach Groh than anybody, because he's a great resource," Albert said. "I feel like he cares about me, that he would tell me what I need to know, not what I want to hear. He won't tell me his own selfish reasons to either stay or go."

Albert, who turned 23 last month, has promised his mother that he'll graduate from U.Va. "And if I did leave [early], I'm going to get my degree eventually," he said. "But graduation is a priority."

The way Albert sees it, he can't lose. If he returns for his senior season, he'll almost certainly be a candidate for several national awards in 2008, and he'll be the leader of what should be another strong team at U.Va. If he leaves early, he's likely to be drawing a handsome NFL paycheck in 2008. -- Jeff White

 

GATOR BOWL NOTES
Wednesday, Dec 19, 2007 - 12:06 AM

Hall to be tested again
In the Nov. 24 regular-season finale, Virginia Tech wide receivers caught 16 passes for 296 yards in a 33-21 win over Virginia. Many of those receptions came at the expense of sophomore cornerback Vic Hall, whom Tech targeted throughout.

"I didn't take it any other way than I got to make it work, because obviously they keep throwing the ball to my side," Hall said afterward at Scott Stadium. "I've got to find a way to make it work. You have to learn. It's one thing to forget it, but you also got to learn from it, and I think I learned a lot from it."

Next up for the Cavaliers is a Gator Bowl date with Texas Tech, the nation's most prolific passing team. Virginia coach Al Groh said yesterday that he's not worried about Hall.

In practices this month, Groh said, Hall has "been very intent every day. But that's why he's always been the high producer that he is . . . Every day is really important to Vic. There's no, 'OK, this is just a Friday evening in December.'

"If Vic Hall ever comes up short on any play, it might just be because he's not Champ Bailey. But it's not out of lack of preparation or intensity or competitiveness. He brings those to the utmost."

Unreliable sources
Among college coaches, Groh's closest friends include Gary Darnell and Ron Prince. Darnell is Texas A&M's defensive coordinator. Prince, a former assistant under Groh at U.Va., is head coach at Kansas State.

Unfortunately for Virginia, Prince hasn't been able to provide much insight into the Red Raiders (8-4).

"Ron didn't play 'em last year, and Ron didn't play 'em this year. Ron's going to play 'em next year," Groh said, shaking his head. "I told him, 'This is screwy. They're in your conference, and we're going to be able to help you more than you can help us.'"

Darnell will also serve as the Aggies' interim head coach in the Alamo Bowl, so he's been especially busy this month.

"When I spoke to him, it was, 'Look, I got a couple minutes for you. I'd like to talk to you some more, but we've got to go to practice,' " Groh recalled with a smile. "So I'm waiting for the return phone call. It's a little bit overdue from when it was promised. So what would appear to be perhaps our best resource is not cashing in yet."

Tickets moving slowly
Groh said early this month that he'd be disappointed if there weren't 30,000 U.Va. fans at the Gator Bowl. The turnout is likely to be considerably smaller, as Virginia continues to struggle to sell its allotment of 13,500 tickets.

"We're appreciative of those people who are already going," Groh said yesterday. "We know they'll be very orange and very vocal. Really, beyond that, I'm not in the ticket business. I'm just in the coach-the-team business, and I'm just going to take care of that."

One group expected to show up in force -- as usual -- are the U.Va. fans who call themselves Wilk Hall. Groh compared Wilk Hall members to Notre Dame's famed Subway Alumni, some of whom "didn't necessarily go to school there but who really embraced the team as their own," he said.

"I think there's a good element of that in this particular group. And they're true supporters. A supporter's there all the time, regardless of how things are going." -- Jeff White

 

Foe’s potent offense offers powerful test of Groh’s creativity
By Ed Miller
The Virginian-Pilot
© December 19, 2007
CHARLOTTESVILLE

Among the suggestions Virginia coach Al Groh has heard from friends in the business on how to slow the Texas Tech offense is this one, provided by an unnamed colleague who has faced the Red Raiders:

“He said his plan was to put the best basketball players on the field that he had,” Groh said Tuesday.

The coach might have only been half-joking. The offense employed by Texas Tech, which averages 58 passes per game and leads the nation in passing yardage at a whopping 475.6 yards per game, has been called basketball on turf. Slowing it takes creativity, a willingness to think outside normal football convention, an offense that can keep the ball out of Red Raider hands – and maybe a little luck.

By the time Virginia (9-3) faces the Red Raiders (8-4) in the Gator Bowl on Jan. 1, Groh and his staff will have had about a month to cook up something to contain a team that averages 41.8 points and was held under 30 just twice.

Players will have just a couple of weeks to get ready. They finished exams Tuesday and now begin preparing for a test unlike any they’ve seen before.

“It’s going to be something new – something I’ve never faced,” linebacker Clint Sintim said. “We’ve kind of been in the dark. I’ve seen a little bit of film – not knowing what the game plan is going to be – so we’ll get the game plan today.” Of its four losses, Texas Tech was basically outscored twice – by Texas and Oklahoma State in a pair of high-octane affairs. In losses to Colorado and Missouri, quarterback Graham Harrell threw four interceptions in each game.

Slowing the Red Raiders completely is out of the question. As Groh said, “It’s not reasonable going into the game thinking it’s going to be 10-3.”

But holding them below their average is probably a necessity for a Virginia team not well equipped to win a shootout. If the score gets into the 40s, the Cavaliers, who average 24 points per game, will probably be in over their heads.

“Clearly we have to find a way to reduce this point total down from the average of 42 points a game,” Groh said. “That’s too much to ask just 11 players to do. We need 33 players to do that – 11 on defense, 11 on special teams, 11 on offense.”

Keeping the ball away from the Red Raiders is the surest way to keep them from scoring. Teams that rushed for at least 200 yards were 3-0 against the Red Raiders this year. Groh said time of possession and field position will be keys, but he resisted the suggestion that Virginia’s best defense will be a good offense.

“In this case, our best defense is going to have to be our defense, but the defense is going to need a little help from its friends,” he said.

Virginia’s defense ranks 17th in the nation – 33rd against the pass – allowing 210 yards per game. That’s less than a half’s total for the Red Raiders, who employ a spread offense that employs five receivers on most plays.

A team that throws the ball so much would appear to provide an opportunity for defensive linemen, particularly All-American defensive end Chris Long (14 sacks), to go after the passer. But Harrell releases the ball so quickly that he’s only sacked once every 46 attempts.

“Pin your ears back and then change direction. Turn and chase the ball,” Groh said. “We’ve seen Chris get a number of sacks this year just by being relentless and finally hunting the player down. That’s a little bit more difficult to do with this team because the ball is out of there.”

Virginia employs a 3-4 defensive scheme, but there will be times – probably many – when the Cavaliers will use extra defensive backs to try to match the Red Raiders personnel.

“We’re definitely going to have to adapt,” Sintim said. “We’re more of a physical team and more of an in-the-trenches team. They’re more of an out-in-space team that makes guys miss.”

Just how, and how often, the Cavaliers adapt is “a question people are waiting to hear the answer, from Charlottesville to Lubbock,” Groh said.

Sintim said he is confident Groh and defensive coordinator Mike London had devised something good.

“He’s had a lot of time to think and, when coach Groh and coach London have a lot of time to think, they come up with some pretty serious schemes,” Sintim said. “So we’ll see what he comes up – the mad scientist.”

 

Virginia football notes: Jobe has Red Raiders ties
Virginia players have Texas Tech connections, but no conflicting loyalties.
BY MELINDA WALDROP | Daily Press
8:23 PM EST, December 18, 2007
 

CHARLOTTESVILLE - Virginia redshirt freshman receiver Staton Jobe grew up cheering for Texas Tech, where his father and his brother both played football and his mother was a cheerleader. But on Jan. 1, he'll have no allegiance to the Red Raiders, the Cavaliers' opponent in the Gator Bowl.

"I never really thought, coming all the way to Virginia to play football, I'd be playing against them," said Jobe, from Austin, Texas, about seven hours away from Texas Tech's campus in Lubbock. "... Red and black kind of ran deep in our family. It's kind of fun to be able to face them."

Jobe said his brother, Taylor, a former Red Raiders walk-on receiver, was the first to tell him of speculation that Virginia would face Texas Tech in the Gator Bowl. He knows several current Red Raiders from high school and from football camps.

When the teams meet in Jacksonville, "(My parents will) definitely be supporting Virginia. I think they'll be in their orange and blue," Jobe said. "As for my brother, he won't really give me a straight answer. It's kind of hard. I know he's rooting for me, but it's also hard to root against the team he was playing with for five years."

Jobe was offered the chance to walk on at Texas Tech, like he did at Virginia. He visited Lubbock, where other family members, including his grandmother and cousins, live, but he said the Cavaliers always were his first choice.

Cavaliers senior center Ian-Yates Cunningham, from Plano, Texas, was recruited by the Red Raiders, but didn't visit Lubbock. "I'm not too fond of the dust storms," he said. Like Jobe, he'll recognize former high school teammates and old friends in Jacksonville.

"But that's just good for one day," Cunningham said. "When we see each other on the 26th, we'll just say hi, see how everything's doing and catch up, and then on Jan. 1, it's time to beat them."

Albert weighing options Virginia junior guard Branden Albert, an all-ACC selection and a third-team AP All-America, said he's going "back and forth" on whether to turn pro after this season.

He hasn't submitted paperwork to the NFL, which has a committee that projects draft prospects for potential early entries.

Instead, he's relying on his own pro connections and on advice from U.Va. coach Al Groh.

"He'll tell me what I need to know, not what I want to hear," Albert said.

Albert, 6-foot-7 and 315 pounds, said he promised his mother that he would graduate, even if he does leave school early.

Last hurrah Defensive end Chris Long is by far the most publicized senior playing in the Gator Bowl, but he's not the only Cavalier wrapping up a notable career. Senior tight end Tom Santi caught 33 passes for a team-best 402 yards and three touchdowns this season, giving him career totals of 1,168 yards and six TDs on 94 catches. "I haven't really thought about (my last game) too much, but obviously it'll be in the back of my mind," he said. "... This experience has just been wonderful for the people that I've met and the relationships that I've formed with my teammates. Those kind of bonds are rare, and they'll be lifelong. So I wouldn't change any of it."

David Teel contributed to this article.

 

Albert still mulling decision
By Jay Jenkins / jjenkins@dailyprogress.com | 978-7250
December 18, 2007

In a consolidated fashion, Virginia coach Al Groh rolled out his game plan late Tuesday afternoon for the New Year’s Day Gator Bowl game against Texas Tech.

With 57 players completing their final academic requirements earlier in the day, Groh decided to deliver the heaviest dose of his scouting report, one he hopes slows down the nation’s most potent passing attack, during a practice session today.

The buzz inside John Paul Jones Arena, however, centered upon what the planning will mean for left guard Branden Albert.

Could this preparation process be the final hurrah for the 23-year-old junior?

It appears that only Albert and Groh truly know whether the offensive lineman will declare for the NFL Draft.

“It is a tough decision because there are a lot of things you have to consider,” Albert said. “You just can’t consider the money because you could wait another year and get more money.

“You have to consider your teammates. You have to consider your family situation. You have to consider your grades. You can’t just say, ‘Oh, I am going to the NFL.’ There are a lot of things you have to consider.”

Albert, who was named a third-team All-American by the Associated Press, said he has not and likely would not submit paperwork to the NFL advisory committee, a group that informs underclassmen what their stock in the draft would be.

“I would rather go off coach Groh than anybody because he is a great resource,” Albert said before confirming that he and his coach have discussed the matter. “I feel like he cares about me and would tell me what I need to know and not what I want to hear. He won’t tell me for his own selfish reasons to either stay or go.”

That said, Albert was mum when asked what his decision would be.

“I go back and forth,” he said.

Virginia outside linebacker Clint Sintim, also a junior, is not facing a similar predicament.

“The only decision I am going to make is where I am living next year. I have no decision to make,” said Sintim, before flashing his trademark smile. “Branden is in a different situation than I am. Branden obviously does have a decision to make.

“I don’t feel like I am at the same level as Branden as decision-making goes.”

Sintim joked that he has actually started recruiting Albert to return.

“I am already lobbying,” Sintim snickered. “I am buying him dinner.”

Albert admitted that there were positives should he return.

“The pros would be ... since I made all these accolades this year, I would be up for a lot of awards and whatnot,” Albert admitted. “I feel like I am a big part of the team. The team would probably be better.

“I think it is [a win-win situation]. I think it will be. If I did leave this year who knows what round I would go in, but it would be a win-win situation.”

Albert said he would announce his decision shortly after the game against Texas Tech.

“I probably will have to make a decision right after the bowl game,” he said. “I’ll know by then. There are a lot of unknowns, a lot of questions that haven’t been answered yet. I just have to see how it goes.”

Bring on the ice bags

Replicating what Texas Tech does on offense will be a daunting task for Virginia’s scout team.

Redshirt freshman quarterback Marc Verica may receive the brunt of that mission as he is slated to lead the preparatory unit with hopes of bettering the Cavaliers’ defense.

“His wrist might be a little sore after the practices,” Sintim said. “Whatever he has to do to make us win, right?”

Texas Tech quarterback Graham Harrell, a junior, completed 468 passes for 5,298 yards during the regular season, and the Red Raider has connected on 880 passing attempts for 9,583 yards in the past two seasons.

For a reference point, compare Harrell’s numbers to those of former Virginia quarterback Matt Schaub, the most prolific passer in UVa history. During a 40-game college career, Schaub completed 716 passes for 7,502 yards.

The mind-boggling numbers go even further - only one opposing quarterback has passed for more yardage against a Cavalier team than the figure Texas Tech averages in a single game.

The Red Raiders’ single-game average of 475.6 yards passing was bettered only by former Georgia Tech quarterback George Godsey, who passed for 486 yards in 2001.

Loving to laugh

When asked about Texas Tech’s potent offense, Sintim brought a round laughter.

“They are by far one of the most average teams that I have seen offensively,” Sintim tried to say with a straight face.

While he plans to spend the next week studying film in depth, the inside linebacker said he did catch glimpses of the Red Raiders in passing.

“I’ve heard a lot about them from a national-publicity standpoint and I have watched pieces of the Oklahoma game,” he said, “and I was hoping to see somebody give up a sack … just one for some motivation on my part.”

Texas Tech’s starting guards and tackles in the trenches are 6-foot-6 or 6-foot-7. Four of the five linemen weigh more than 300 pounds, including right guard Brandon Carter, who is listed at 376 pounds.

“Unfortunately, I didn’t see [many sacks allowed] from the massive creatures they have on the offensive line,” Sintim said.

Extra points …

Owning the head job at Kansas State, a Big 12 school, logic would say that former Virginia offensive coordinator Ron Prince would be a valuable resource for the scouting of Texas Tech. Think again. Oddly enough, Virginia will help Prince scout - Kansas State and Texas Tech have not met the past two years, but meet next season. … Virginia fullback Josh Zidenberg, who was injured his left foot against Virginia Tech and was placed in a protective boot, has progressed and will be healthy enough to play against Texas Tech. … Kevin Ogletree, who has missed the season while rehabbing a torn ACL, worked with the first-team offense at times during practice sessions held previously this month. Groh said it would serve as a springboard for getting the junior ready for his return to the starting lineup next season. … J’Courtney Williams, a true freshman linebacker, has already had one shoulder surgery and Groh confirmed that another is scheduled on the opposite shoulder. The rookie, who is redshirting, arrived at Virginia with issues in both shoulders, Groh said. … Another linebacker, redshirt freshman John Bivens had the needed repair work on torn ligaments in his knee, the coach added. … Texas Tech is currently listed as a six-point favorite over Virginia. According to the powers that be in Las Vegas, the over-under for points scored in the game is listed at 60. Oddly enough, nine other bowl games have an over-under that exceeds that total.


 

Groh open to advice on Raiders

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- Virginia football coach Al Groh has no better source for information about pass-happy opponent Texas Tech than his old University of North Carolina coaching colleague, Gary Darnell.

Darnell is in his second season as Texas A&M's defensive coordinator but he's a little busy right now.

Darnell is serving as the Aggies' interim head coach for their Alamo Bowl matchup with Penn State.

"When I spoke to him, it was, 'OK, I've got a couple of minutes,'" said Groh, who said Darnell told him, 'I'd like to talk to you some more but we've got to go to practice.'

"I'm waiting for the return phone call. It's a little bit overdue from when it was promised. What would appear to be our best resource is not cashing in yet."

Groh has another contact in the Big 12, second-year Kansas State head coach and former UVa offensive coordinator Ron Prince, but Prince hasn't been much help either.

"Ron didn't play 'em last year and Ron didn't play 'em this year," Groh said Tuesday at a pre-Gator Bowl press conference. "Ron's going to play 'em next year.

"I told him, 'This is screwy. They're in your conference and we're going to be able to help you more than you help us.'"

Groh actually has ties to Texas Tech, having served as a Red Raiders assistant, but that was more than 25 years ago.

One of his assistants, Dave Borbely, coached at Colorado until two years ago. But, the Buffaloes were in the Northern Division of the Big 12, while Texas Tech is in the South. -- plus Borbely coached the Buffs' offensive line.

"He hasn't brought any useful information," Groh said.

Agenda

Groh said that 57 players had exams Tuesday on the final day of the fall semester, after which the team was scheduled to hold the first of its "full-blown" bowl preparations, as he put it.

The Cavaliers had eight practices prior to exams and now will practice through Saturday, at which point they will break for Christmas. The team will reconvene Dec. 25 in Jacksonville, Fla., where Virginia (9-3) and Texas Tech (8-4) meet Jan. 1, at 1 p.m.

Scouting

Virginia enters the game with 40 sacks, with a 3.33 per-game average that ranks sixth in Division I-A, but Texas Tech quarterbacks have been sacked only 15 times in 694 attempts.

"The ball's out of there pretty quickly," Groh said. "The numbers don't lie because they include teams like Texas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Texas A&M, Colorado.

"We've seen Chris [Long] get a number of sacks this year just by being relentless. He's finally hunted the player down. That's going to be a little more difficult to do with this team.

"If there's 65 or 66 [Texas Tech] passes, not all of them are intended to take a shot. If it's first-and-10, what they're looking for is second-and-5. That's how quickly the ball is gone."

Beefy

Texas Tech's starting offensive line is composed of 6-foot-7, 314-pound left tackle Rylan Reed, 6-6, 335-pound left guard Louis Vazquez; 6-4, 303-pound center Shawn Byrnes, 6-7, 374-pound right guard Brandon Carter and 6-6, 329-pound right tackle Marlon Winn.
 

UVa Football Notebook: Cavs haven't faced a team like Texas Tech
By Andy Bitter
Lynchburg News & Advance
December 19, 2007

CHARLOTTESVILLE - Virginia's players don't begin full-blown preparation for their Gator Bowl matchup with Texas Tech until today. That doesn't mean the Cavaliers' coaches haven't spent the last few weeks searching for a way to slow down the Red Raiders' air-it-out, spread attack.
"We've certainly had to do more research and analysis," Virginia coach Al Groh said. "You can see a certain pattern start to unfold, but it doesn't relate to anything else. You can't say 'same as' or 'similar to' what anybody else has done. The concepts and the patterns are fairly unique to this team."

Texas Tech is averaging 41.8 points and 546.2 yards per game, second most in the nation.

The Red Raiders throw for more than 475 yards per game. Only one player has ever had that many yards against UVa - Georgia Tech's George Godsey, who threw for 486 yards in a 2001 loss.

"This is an exciting offense," UVa linebacker Clint Sintim said. "Guys are up for the challenge. They can't wait to play this type of team."

Kansas State coach Ron Prince, a UVa assistant for five seasons, figured to be a good source on Texas Tech. Not so. Despite being in the Big 12, Prince's Northern Division Wildcats have not faced the Southern Division Red Raiders in either of his two years in Manhattan. They do next year, however.

"I told him, 'This is screwy,'" Groh joked. "'They're in your conference and we're going to be able to help you more than you can help us.'"

Ogletree eyes next year

Wideout Kevin Ogletree, who missed all season after injuring his knee in the spring, returned to taking turns on the offense in the eight practices UVa has had since the end of the regular season.

"We talked about that it was time to get back on a full-time basis," Groh said. "It was a good opportunity to get next season started early."

Ogletree, who will have two years of eligibility remaining when he returns to action next season, served on the scout team late in the year, playing the role of mobile quarterback Tyrod Taylor before the Virginia Tech game. He won't be scouting star Texas Tech wideout Michael Crabtree in the coming weeks.

"He'll take regular turns," Groh said.

Texas Tech ties

One of the many stops in Groh's career was at Texas Tech, where he was a linebacker coach for Rex Dockery in 1980. As has been the case throughout his career, it had a lot to do with Bill Parcells.

Groh was Parcells' defensive coordinator at Air Force from 1978-79 before Parcells left to be defensive coordinator for the New York Giants.

That prompted Groh to join Dockery's staff in Lubbock in 1980. Dockery, who was the Red Raiders' head coach from 1978-80, had been the schools offensive coordinator prior to that. The defensive coordinator at that time? Bill Parcells.

Dockery left for Memphis State in 1981 and Groh was hired by former West Point coaching pal John Mackovic to be Wake Forest's defensive coordinator. But Mackovic left two months later to be the Dallas Cowboys' quarterback coach, making Groh the Deacons' head coach. He was there from 1981-86 and went 24-40.

Changing of the guard

The Gator Bowl will be senior right guard Ian-Yates Cunningham's last game, but UVa may have already found his successor.

Groh spoke very positively about redshirt freshman B.J. Cabbell (Nelson County), who got plenty of reps in the practices following the end of the regular season.

"He looks like he's ready to move up," Groh said.

The 6-foot-6, 303-pound Cabbell is Cunningham's backup on the depth chart. He plays on UVa's field goal unit.

Extra points

Sintim, who had 72 tackles and eight sacks this year, said left guard Branden Albert is the only one who has to decide whether or not to enter this spring's NFL Draft. "The only decision I have to make is where I'm living next year," Sintim said. ? Virginia will practice until Saturday, when players are dismissed for the holidays. They'll meet in Jacksonville on the night of Dec. 25. ? Linebacker John Bivens had successful surgery on his injured left knee. The redshirt freshman played just 26 snaps this season and made three tackles.