NCAA Football FanHouse

Virginia Dismisses LB J'Courtney Williams

Ian Cohen — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 16:23:00 EST

Filed under: Virginia Football, ACC, NCAA FB Gossip, NCAA FB Police Blotter, NCAA FB Scandal

It was supposed to be so easy (good lookin', Mike Skinner). Heavily recruited out of Danville, VA, J'Courtney Williams was a 4-star prospect set out to cover two needs for the Cavaliers, the first being the heir apparent to brilliant if somewhat foolhardy linebackers like Ahmad Brooks and Kai Parham. The other, well, it should be obvious how he could replace D'Brickashaw Ferguson.

Well, to paraphrase something Homer Simpson once said, Al Groh would be lying if he said his men weren't committing crimes. Williams only manifested the "foolhardy" portion of the bargain, getting involved in a low-level credit card scam that wasn't particularly bright in planning or execution. According to reports, a student claimed his wallet was stolen at the Virginia's main athletic center, and...okay. Stop right there.

Now, I realize that Virginia students tend to have a reputation as being well-to-do, and maybe I'm just getting old, but it's probably not wise to nab some poor teen's card when a: his parents probably see the bill and b: it's probably not blessed with the sort of credit limit you'd prefer for your jag/spree. Worse yet, Williams couldn't even be bothered to buy anything cool with his ill-gotten goods. Supposedly, he was found out after making 19 purchases at a Tuttle dorm vending... That's not even Treehouse ballin'. Maybe you can help me out in the comments, but I mostly remember Tuttle having a computer lab and I dunno, maybe some snack machines. And an elevator. That was pretty cool. But otherwise, you're gonna risk your college career for that? Then again, maybe the whole snack machine thing relates to his marijuana charges as well.

Groh was swift with the guillotine, and Williams has been dismissed from the program; all things considered between Olu Hall, Parham, Brooks and Williams, I probably shouldn't be so quick to criticize Groh for recruiting seemingly nothing but linebackers and tight ends. It's been mentioned that Louisville, Kentucky and Mississippi State were among the schools Virginia beat out for J'Courtney, and if I were a betting man, I wouldn't count out the one that took a flyer on Willie Williams. No relation?

Virginia Dismisses LB J'Courtney Williams originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Thu, 03 Apr 2008 16:23:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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UVA's Mike Brown Not To Be Trusted On eBay

Ian Cohen — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 10:37:00 EST

Filed under: Virginia Football, ACC, BCS, NCAA FB Police Blotter, NCAA FB Scandal

"I know I be strapped with a double 4-4 and a slim jim to open your Cadillac door."- Redman, "One Shot Deal"

I don't think I need to go in any further about what they say about idle hands. I mean, the crap I get myself in when I'm bored is bad enough, and right now, I'm doing what I do most of the day in my various pursuits, namely, sit at a desk and look at a computer while dem dollas roll in. Suppose you're someone like Mike Brown, however. Though he's served as a cornerback and punt returner for Virginia over the past couple of seasons, his main gig was special teams gunner, meaning that his scholarship essentially is based on him trying to kill someone's head off for what amounts to about a few minutes per year.

I'm not sure how I'd handle my downtime if the aforementioned was my job description, but hopefully, I'd be able to handle it better than Brown has. In the latest addition to Virginia's Super Fun Happy Offseason, Brown was arrested by campus police and charged with grand larceny, possession of stolen property, intent to sell, altering serial numbers, and as an added bonus, marijuana possession. According to the Daily Progress, you're doin' a hell of a job, Brownie:

The charges stem from a Feb. 6 incident in which a music mixer, mixer box, camcorder and microphone were stolen from a car owned by UVa student Brendan Downey in the Central Grounds Parking Garage, according to a search warrant filed on Feb. 19. The stolen items were worth more than $3,400. On Feb. 9, Downey saw three of the items stolen from his car listed on eBay, according to the search warrant. The seller's eBay identifier was tied to Brown's roommate, a former member of the UVa football team. Downey notified police and also arranged to purchase the mixer, using Paypal. The mixer was not delivered. Downey left negative feedback for the seller on eBay.

I'm not gonna diss you on the internet? Screw that- burn!!1! Though my familiarity with the recorded output of Reggie Noble would have me believe that Brown has done his hometown well, this is just another reason why you should stay having a morally unscrupulous friend who works at Best Buy.

UVA's Mike Brown Not To Be Trusted On eBay originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Wed, 05 Mar 2008 10:37:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Virginia's Jeffrey Fitzgerald Not In Classes

Ian Cohen — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 13:45:00 EST

Filed under: Virginia Football, ACC, BCS, NCAA FB Scandal

Not to be on the Morrissey tip with this story, but if this one sounds kinda familiar, well- there's good reason. Except at that point, it was pointed out to be speculation after the high school coach of UVA's standout DE Jeffrey Fitzgerald said that he had not left the University. Well, it might be time to love the Cavaliers only slightly less than you used to, as it's become official that Fitzgerald is not in classes this semester, joining fellow starters Jameel Sewell and Chris Cook as being AWOL from Cabell Hall (or any other learning facility at Virginia).

No one's talking about what's going on besides the fact that he's not enrolled right now, and WOW, this kinda sucks hard for UVA. It's been floated that Sewell might think about trying to come back for 2009, but something about this tells me the Hoos might not be so lucky with Fitz, who racked up 7 sacks and 2 INT's; the loss of Cook and Fitzgerald may very well constitute Virginia being without their two most effective pass defenders. In my time, I've known more than a few kids who took off time from classes before ultimately re-enrolling; apparently, working at Circuit City or as a Gumby's delivery guy is a good way to find ones self.

Still, if they're going down that road, it might help to avoid using your pizza route as a means of boosting your revenue from dimebags of C-ville shwag. Just sayin'. Now, thanks to that picture, we can easily segue into how Chris Long's intensity on the football field is being seriously underreported in draft discussions.
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Virginia's Jeffrey Fitzgerald Not In Classes originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Tue, 26 Feb 2008 13:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Virginia Hires Bob Pruett As DC

Ian Cohen — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 12:57:00 EST

Filed under: Virginia Football, ACC, BCS, NCAA FB Coaching

Al Groh doesn't have the reputation of being the friendliest guy in the world (a rep that's supposedly undeserved), but give him this much- he knows how to take care of his own. After an at-times dispiriting search for a new defensive coordinator, he is now flanked by his son and his best friend in coaching after the hire of Bob Pruett.

Now, if that name happens to ring some bells, it's likely that you remember Pruett from the Randy Moss/Chad Pennington teams from the late '90s at Marshall, where he achieved massive success. Either that, or his time as the DC under Steve Spurrier at Florida. As often as those teams won, however, I don't think they were primarily known for defense, but considering that Al Groh still has a lot of sway in terms of playcalling (in fact, rumor has it that he called all the plays for the last two years), who knows how much it will matter?

And yes, when you take into account that no athletic program might be having a worse 2008 than Virginia (have you seen the basketball team? Gadzooks!), pulling one of Groh's pals out of retirement at the age of 64 might not give anyone a lot to get excited about. But I actually see this as a potentially good hire, certainly one of the better ones in the Groh tenure. Yeah, it might be nice to get one of these maverick DC's that are magic on the recruiting trail, particularly in the 757 area code, but how's that worked out the last two times? Al Golden and Mike London leaped at pretty much the first head coaching opportunities that came down the pike (to London's credit, he did turn down the Old Dominion job, but to paraphrase a LL Cool J diss, 99% of their team doesn't exist). Which leads to the next point- high school coaches in Virginia have explained UVA's shortcomings on the recruiting trail as a result of a lack of staff continuity and Groh's perceived elitism and a Treach-style tendency to do his dirt all by his lonely. Pruett helps on this front; this is probably the last job he'll have, period, unless UVA managed to shut out USC in the season opener or something. Moreover, he has a reputation of being a "good cop" type that is revered by his players, and he has strong roots in the Northern Virginia region from his high school coaching days. Now, this may not do a whole lot for Virginia in the Tidewater region (beating VT more than once a decade would probably help), but UVA can use any edge in-state, particularly since neither Virginia OR Tech has been particularly adept at taking top-notch recruits from NoVA; they're just as likely to end up at Penn State, Notre Dame, Florida or even NC State. So while not a particularly innovative hire, it's still a solid one and solid is what Virginia needs right now. Besides, were any of these dudes better options?

Virginia Hires Bob Pruett As DC originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Mon, 18 Feb 2008 12:57:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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February Already A Better Month For Virginia

Ian Cohen — Sat, 02 Feb 2008 19:20:00 EST

Filed under: Virginia Football, ACC, BCS, NCAA FB Recruiting

The last thing we need here at Fanhouse is another lament about Virginia's self-inflicted wounds and bad luck, seeing as how the Gator Bowl sorta proved that few people outside the Old Dominion and east-coast metropolises give a crap about them.

That said, what was looking like an increasingly shaky recruiting class got a little bit stronger with the addition of two new verbals at need positions. Okay, it's a given when Al Groh is your coach that linebacker is going to be a need position, and they may have found themselves a good one in Solon, OH prospect Steve Greer. Rivals has him a three-star guy and Virginia managed to keep him away from decidedly non-Ohio schools such as North Carolina and Oklahoma State.

The more interesting and more needful snag comes in the form of Plano, TX's Riko Smalls, who officially has the awesomest name on the roster now. With Jameel Sewell out of the picture for the time being, Virginia is certainly in need of bodies, and Smalls is an intriguing fit, mostly because he was recruited by Wake Forest as a safety, and ESPN's scouting report has him as an "ideal spread offense player." In other words, an offense Virginia totally doesn't run and probably never will until Groh takes his son and goes home. Moreover, they already have an undersized QB that they tried to move to CB and Vic Hall's progress has been ... shaky.

Speaking of shaky, it's still incredibly troubling how Virginia appears to be completely outsourcing its recruiting outside the state, a trend that doesn't look to abate now that their most important in-state recruiter is gone. I mean, I'd expect Paul Johnson to be fighting off Air Force recruits this year, but not the reigning ACC COY.

February Already A Better Month For Virginia originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Sat, 02 Feb 2008 19:20:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Virginia Shouldn't Hold Their Breath For Pepper Johnson

Ian Cohen — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 17:08:00 EST

Filed under: Virginia Football, ACC, BCS, NCAA FB Coaching

Especially with John Tenuta shuffling off to South Bend, Virginia fans are getting as antsy as possible when it comes to finding a potential replacement for Mike London. Which is not to say that it's inevitably going to get bungled. The last two guys to hold it down at DC became head coaches. But it's difficult to think of too many candidates to get excited about.

Pepper Johnson is certainly one of the more intriguing candidates, intriguing because he's sort of a mystery as a coordinator. But even if the headline says that Johnson's "mum" about the prospect of commandeering a unexpectedly gutted unit, he sure doesn't sound that way. In regards to being a DC on the collegiate level:

"I don't know. Once again, that's something that is kind of difficult, because it all depends on who makes that phone call," Johnson added. "If The Ohio State University did, then probably I'd have to tell Bill [Belicheck] he's going to have to hang on there without me. "Other than that, I don't know."

Now, this may just be the Bill Belicheck approach to bullcrap media questions that have nothing to do with the week ahead showing its effect on Pepper. But to UVA, it's more of a sign that Al Groh has his work ahead of him, but if he's known for anything, it's turning on that charm and winning smile.

Virginia Shouldn't Hold Their Breath For Pepper Johnson originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Thu, 31 Jan 2008 17:08:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Virginia Seriously Needs January To End

Ian Cohen — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Virginia Football, ACC, BCS, NCAA FB Gossip, NCAA FB Rumors, NCAA FB Scandal

"B-b-b-b-but wait it gets worse!!!"- Sticky Fingaz

I'll admit that the original article I wrote about UVA signing on for a home-and-home against USC might have jumped the gun a little. Virginia's played extremely well at home under Al Groh, lord only knows what mood the Trojans will be in before their tilt with Ohio State and there was every indication that the Cavaliers would field that a team that could certainly compete for an ACC Coastal crown, even if they weren't at a level where they could realistically match wits with top-five teams. With the possibility of the offense getting another year to congeal and a defense that had been increasingly effective and aggressive under Mike London, hell- at the very least, they could've shocked the world by giving USC a run for it.

Of course, that was my line of thinking before the Hoos started hemorrhaging in 2008; to recap, they'll take the field against USC without the following:

- Possibly the greatest defensive player in school history, but at the very least, the highest draft pick of the modern era (Chris Long)

- Three fifths of the starting offensive line, including their most talented guard (Branden Albert)

- The popular and blitz-happy defensive coordinator who also happened to be the most important in-state recruiter (Mike London)

- The quarterback around whom the offense was completely retooled over the past two years to fit his skills (Jameel Sewell) ... to academics

- The best cover corner (Chris Cook) ... to academics

- Considering that the first of these was the only one to be expected, hope as well? More on that after the jump...
The loss of Chris Long was supposed to be alleviated by the emergence of rising junior Jeffrey Fitzgerald, 2006's ACC freshman defensive player of the year. 2007 was another strong year for Fitz, as he racked up two INTs and seven sacks. But whether his success was attributable to the presence of Long will never be known, as he's left the program under a shroud of mysterious circumstances.

One guess could be the same sort of academic problems that resulted in the non-enrollment of four players (including Sewell and Cook), or possibly a reaction to London's acceptance of the head coaching gig at UR. Either way, how's that Al Groh extension looking now? Despite the good vibes of 2007, the offseason that's ensuing bears a lot of similarities to the poisonous time before the 2006 campaign that ended with a 5-7 slate. Academic attrition, poor recruiting, the loss of coordinators, a general sense of malaise. Whatever you think of his on-field exploits, you have to expect a man as well-compensated as Al Groh to be a bigger part of the solution. It's difficult to imagine what another 4 or 5 win season could do to Virginia's fanbase, and with a rugged 2008 schedule in place, we might find out.

Virginia Seriously Needs January To End originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Fri, 25 Jan 2008 13:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Whither Jameel Sewell?

Ian Cohen — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 23:09:00 EST

Filed under: Virginia Football, ACC, BCS, NCAA FB Gossip, NCAA FB Scandal

Before Sunday's win against Boston College at the John Paul Jones Arena, Virginia's sports programs didn't have much to shout about in 2008. They started the New Year with bowl season's most horrific collapse, watched their best offensive lineman declare for the draft, saw four players not enrolled in spring classes and lost the defensive coordinator to a 1-AA school. To top it off, the basketball team got waxed by Xavier and Duke, thereafter dropping their first home game to Virginia Tech in over four decades. Well, there's always lacrosse.

But even the win against the ACC-leading Eagles proved ominous, as Jameel Sewell, UVA's starting QB currently AWOL from classes, had courtside seats. Obviously, speculation has already begun in regards to what Sewell's future holds, not just at UVA, but in general. He's stated that he has no intention of declaring for the supplemental draft, wise considering that he's nowhere near the level of Dave Brown and Steve Walsh in terms of quarterbacking or Ahmad Brooks (the last Virginia player drafted in the DS) in terms of raw talent.

And while the most likely scenario finds Sewell transferring in the same manner that UVA's most recent academically troubled and erratic-armed QB did (Bryson Spinner), he left open the possibility that with a year of strong performance in the classroom, he might see Scott Stadium again in 2009. It's not beyond reason; Ottawa Anderson took a year off to sort out his admittedly foul-looking personal problems before returning two years later to make minor contributions as a wide receiver. But is it in Sewell's best interest? Or even Virginia's? It's abundantly clear that Virginia's only real option is to roll the dice with Peter Lalich at QB, even if the sophomore doesn't have any real backup in case he doesn't progress; the best options is the seriously untested Marc Verica or even current CB Vic Hall, who broke all kinds of records as a QB in high school. Were Sewell to return in '09, it would give Virginia its first truly capable backup in years, but by then, the offense stands to be markedly different than the one Sewell worked in during the last two seasons. Lalich is more of an NFL-type of quarterback and it's unlikely that Mike Groh will work the same TE/RB-only passing game ... not if he wants to win, mind you.

Whither Jameel Sewell? originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Wed, 23 Jan 2008 23:09:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Who's Replacing Mike London At Virginia?

Ian Cohen — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 23:57:00 EST

Filed under: Virginia Football, ACC, BCS, NCAA FB Rumors, NCAA FB Coaching

Here's the thing; although I'm sure it's more lurid and scandalous to talk about Jameel Sewell's academic status as crippling Virginia's 2008 season, I'll make the (correct) argument that officially losing DC Mike London to the Richmond Spiders has more serious implications. I mean, if you compare the performance of Sewell to that of London's defense, who was winning more of those close games in 2007, not to mention putting Virginia in the position to even win any games in 2006?

And while you can argue that Chris Long and Jeffrey Fitzgerald were the ones making the plays and not London, compared to his predecessor Al Golden, London's defensive schemes were more aggressive and not coincidentally, more effective. Moreover, London proved to be an invaluable recruiter in the DC area, and seeing as how Virginia Tech has the fertile Tidewater region on lock for the foreseeable future, the ability to mine the other parts of the state were absolutely crucial. Although linebacker Clint Sintim should emerge as the leader of the Cavalier defense, without London and Long, it certainly lacks an identity.

So, where to go for Groh? I can't imagine he has any more sons looking for work, so it appears as if he might rely on his substantial contact list. One can keep their fingers crossed for UVA grad and current GT DC John Tenuta, who supposedly was hightailing it to Ann Arbor with Les Miles. However, there's an indication that he'll resort to the buddy system, particularly in regards to Bill Belicheck; one name that's been bandied about as a possibility is New England linemen dude Pepper Johnson, who Groh oversaw as the Giants LB coach during the days of Bill Parcells. Other possibilities include former UVA CB and current Ravens LB coach Mike Pettine, former Duke HC Ted Roof, and former Texas A&M DC (yeeesh!) Gary Darnell. Whatever route Groh chooses to take, one can only hope (if in vain) he sees the long-term value in having a guy that knows the Old Dominion.

Who's Replacing Mike London At Virginia? originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Tue, 22 Jan 2008 23:57:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Virginia Had A Bad Day

Ian Cohen — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 00:05:00 EST

Filed under: Virginia Football, ACC, BCS, NCAA FB Gossip, NCAA FB Scandal

According to today's Cavalier Daily, Virginia ranks #1 in terms of black enrollment among US News' top schools. Check it out- it's pretty heartwarming. Other than that, if you're a fan of UVA sporting teams, just swear off the internet altogether today. None of it's good for you.

We'll get to Mike London later, but I'll ask you this- did you like what you saw from Peter Lalich in the Gator Bowl? Against UNC? Well, get used to it. Admittedly, I did have a post in the making questioning whether Jameel Sewell was a viable long-term solution for Virginia. While the offense was improving as it catered to Sewell's abilities, it was still remarkably limited in its options; blame it on the dearth of gamebreaking receivers or the fact that any pass that Sewell throws past ten yards can most generously be described as "an adventure." It can be an effective attack, but ultimately incapable of quick scores or big plays through the air.

This is no longer an issue, as Sewell and three other Virginia footballers (starting CB Chris Cook, WR Chris Dalton and freshman LB Darnell Carter) aren't enrolled for spring classes and will most likely miss the 2008 season, if not transfer altogther. Can't say this is too much of a surprise, seeing as how Cook missed the Gator Bowl and Sewell's academic standing had been shaky since day one. I guess my comparisons to Bryson Spinner are more apt than ever.
Virginia had put themselves in a good position to be competitive in the ACC this upcoming year, with an offense that was starting to find an identity and a defense that would likely remain strong even with the loss of Chris Long. And while some factions in UVA's fanbase have been calling for the highly-touted Lalich from the moment he signed on, there have been many indications that he's a little too green, even if I'll admit that his fumble in the Gator Bowl was more a result of an offensive line breakdown than inexperience. But the problem is that the Grohs have spent the last two years hitching their cart to Sewell and seem even more scared of throwing to wide receivers with Lalich.

But even more disturbing is that academic attrition appears to becoming more of a trend under Groh, particularly difficult to swallow since most Hoos (guilty as charged) tend to use the high standards of admission as a shield against claims of gridiron underachievement. Some have accused Groh of giving offers to kids he knows darn well aren't up to snuff in the classroom, and this isn't helping.

Virginia Had A Bad Day originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Sat, 19 Jan 2008 00:05:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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London Calling at Richmond?

Ian Cohen — Sat, 12 Jan 2008 01:10:00 EST

Filed under: Virginia Football, ACC, BCS, NCAA FB Rumors, NCAA FB Coaching

I'll state the facts first: Virginia has played the last two seasons with the same offensive and defensive coordinator. This sort of prosaic admission may not register to many outside the program, but considering that Al Groh made it a point to start his tenure by hiring hungry assistants looking to move up the ranks quickly (see: Bill Musgrave, Al Golden, Ron Prince) and continue by seeking stability, which explains to a great extent why his son may have been hired as OC. As far as defense goes, Mike London's a little tricky. Last year, he was linked with the Old Dominion head coaching position that will open when they restart the program in 2009. He passed, but UVA might not be so lucky this time.

With the departure of David Cutcliffe to Duke, Tennessee recently tabbed University of Richmond head coach Dave Clawson for their open OC job. And the upshot of this is that London becomes a very attractive candidate, considering his roots at UR; he played linebacker at the lake-bisected university, worked in the area as a detective (wizzle wuzzle?) and worked as linebacker coach from 1988-1989. He also interviewed for the very same position in 2004.

Besides all that, London's gotten results. While Golden was a solid recruiter and had the kind of energy that attracted the attention of a moribund program like Temple, London was better about getting results. Preferring to blitz far more often than Virginia did in Golden's read and react schemes, the Cavalier defense improved immensely over the last two seasons, ranking 23rd overall in the NCAA in 2007. Considering that Virginia is losing all-universe Chris Long as their defensive and spiritual leader, the departure of London could very well throw Virginia off the path of potential Coastal champs.

But is this really a step up for London? Consider this; Clawson went 11-3 at UR in 2007, taking the Spiders to the 1-AA playoffs. And yet, upward mobility resulted in a coordinator position at a BCS school, i.e., damn near the same position that London currently has, albeit at a school with far less national success. What's the next jump from UR? Back to UVA once Groh retires?

London Calling at Richmond? originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Sat, 12 Jan 2008 01:10:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Virginia's Moral Victory

Ian Cohen — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 23:48:00 EST

Filed under: Virginia Football, ACC, BCS, Bowl Games

So many depressing moments from the Gator Bowl for the UVA fans, few of which we will recount here. But perhaps worst of all was the sight of what appeared to be Alltel Stadium looking seemingly half-empty from one of the way-too many aerial shots from the Snoopy blimp. So not only did they drop their first New Year's Day game in over a decade in the bowl season's most embarrassing meltdown, but they cemented their reputation as being a school that simply cannot bring 'em out.

But wait! Lest you think that no one at Virginia gave a crap, officials claim they sold a reported 10,200 of their 13,500 ticket allotment, while 15,000 fans were in attendance (officially 60,243 total). About the same number the Continental Tire Bowl pulled when UVA went in its inaugural year and was one of the most successful non-BCS debuts ever. Of course, that isn't touching the 85,000+ that packed it in for this season's (in retrospect) kinda lame- bowlish matchup between Florida State and Alabama, but let's take their rabid fanbases into account as well as the obvious logic of "do you love your team enough to spend new year's day in Jacksonville?!?!"

Virginia's Moral Victory originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Tue, 08 Jan 2008 23:48:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Can't Knock the Hustle: UVA's Albert To Go Pro

Ian Cohen — Sun, 06 Jan 2008 15:54:00 EST

Filed under: Virginia Football, ACC, BCS, NFL Prospects

As Alex Trlica's field goal went through the wickets with two seconds left against Virginia in the Gator Bowl, it became clear that a premonition I had would come true. You see, last time Virginia had a truly on-the-fence underclassman in a bowl game, it was Darryl Blackstock in 2004. It wasn't a good sign that he changed his uniform number to 1 for the Humanitarian Bowl; while he said "I think I look good in it" (are single digits slimming?), he meant "I'm worthy of a first-round draft choice" and pretty much bolted the moment Fresno State closed things out in OT. 32 NFL teams disagreed, as Blackstock was eventually chosen in the 4th round by the Arizona Cardinals.

It became clear that Al Groh might have a "tell" when it comes to tipping off the Virginia faithful as to whether or not someone's going to declare. This year, it was Branden Albert who was the topic of discussion. It wasn't clear one way or the other whether he was going anywhere, because OGs in the ACC don't generate as much press as say, Darren McFadden. And then it became clear as day what was going to happen the moment Albert rumbled for a small gain on a lineman-eligible pass that probably would've been a far better idea had it taken place somewhere remotely near the goal line.

Similar to 2004, Virginia came in to its bowl game ranked and lost to a team that everyone expected to beat them anyway by three points ... and the man in question chose to get that paper. This past week, Albert declared himself for the NFL draft, which really can't be criticized even as it leaves Virginia with 2/5ths of their line returning for 2008's opener against USC. Most people thought that Eugene Monroe would be the guy in this position when he was the #1 O-line prospect of his high school class, but instead the lightly-recruited Albert developed into the more sought-after guy for the pros (though Monroe's no slouch himself). It remains to be seen where he's projected to go; haven't seen any mock drafts with him in the first round, but Mel Kiper ranks him as the #1 junior offensive guard.

Can't Knock the Hustle: UVA's Albert To Go Pro originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Sun, 06 Jan 2008 15:54:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Anatomy of an Implosion: Virginia Blows It Big Time

Ian Cohen — Tue, 01 Jan 2008 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Virginia Football, ACC, Big 12, BCS, Bowl Games, Texas Tech Football

Five times this year, Virginia won games by two points or less. Karmic payback's a bitch. UVA fans that made resolutions to curb their drinking were seriously put to the test today as the Cavaliers allowed 17 points in three and a half minutes, losing to Texas Tech 31-28 after a field goal with two seconds remaining.

- The only thing more relentless than Chris Long is the use of "relentless" to describe his play.

- Texas Tech is looking to bring back 18 of their starters next season. This could very well be the year that the Red Raiders manage to make a big impact in the Big XII South, and perhaps with Tim Tebow's 2007, an indication that Graham Harrell might be taken seriously as a Heisman contender.

- All year, I've been saying that Al Groh may have made a mistake by alienating Kevin McCabe in 2006 and causing his transfer. Backup QB play has been pretty unreliable all season, to the point where Groh burned Peter Lalich's redshirt in the first game. After Jameel Sewell went out with a leg injury, Lalich rode Mikell Simpson to a scoring drive that put Virginia up 28-14, but after that the offense was greatly limited, even moreso than it was under the cautious gameplan instituted for Sewell. Lalich has regressed pretty badly over the course of the season and he often looked lost, particularly when he was sacked and coughed up the fumble that led to the tying score. Shades of Anthony Martinez...

- Even though Sewell got the job done to a certain extent in the first three quarters, Virginia was pretty much useless on third and long. Al Groh seriously needs to find more options at wide receiver because he hasn't had one that's been a scare going deep since Billy McMullen and he'd better hope Kevin Ogletree finds his way back on the field 100% next season. During the last drive where an injured Sewell was limited, they looked like a team that knew they weren't scoring. Virginia's leading non-RB, non-TE receiver in 2007 was Maurice Covington and he finished with 20 catches.

- Not to make light of Rylan Reed's scary injury, but you get the feeling that once that extra point was kicked, you knew pretty darn well that Virginia wasn't going to mount any sort of comeback.

- Considering that it's supposedly one of the more bureaucratically difficult jobs in the country, you have to wonder how Mike Leach would've done at UCLA. Love the onside kick call that began the second half as well as his insistence on sticking with his gameplan (69 tosses for Harrell) and never panicking.

- Let's just say that Virginia didn't do much to counter their rep as a wine and cheese crowd that doesn't travel well. I'm amazed how many blimp shots CBS allowed.

Anatomy of an Implosion: Virginia Blows It Big Time originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Tue, 01 Jan 2008 18:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Gator Bowl At The Half: UVA 21 Texas Tech 7

Ian Cohen — Tue, 01 Jan 2008 14:38:00 EST

Filed under: Virginia Football, ACC, Big 12, BCS, Texas Tech Football

Quick thoughts...

- Texas Tech seems like the least likely team to possibly have a safety go against them considering their passing game relies on quick passes and they've only been sacked 16 times thus far. And you figure the "let 'em play" style of bowl games would dictate that an intentional grounding call wouldn't happen that often. So it requires a cocked eyebrow to see that UVA has managed to procure TWO intentional grounding safeties in the FIRST HALF. I'm pretty sure that's a first.

- I understand that you need a certain amount of speed to even get a 96-yard rushing TD, but I'll be damned if Mikell Simpson's wasn't among the slowest ones I've ever seen. You know, considering all the 96-yard rushing TD's I've seen.

- Ras-I Dowling is completely shutting down Michael Crabtree at this point. One catch for a handful of yards at the half. Graham Harrell doesn't appear to have much rhythm going either. Any penalty these guys get seem to shut them down completely.

- Jameel Sewell has completed 12 passes for 68 yards thus far. I would say that the deep ball isn't exactly UVA's forte, which can also be culled from the fact that they send two tight ends wide in their version of the spread. One of Sewell's darts was to guard Branden Albert for two yards. Virginia fans can only hope he's not trying to pad his resume for the NFL draft.

- So to recap, UVA's 21 points: two TDs, two safeties and a FG.

- Mike Leach ... easily one of your more outstanding halftime interviews. Among the quotables- "we played like garbage." Also something about playing 8 on 11, which I didn't quite understand. Every bit as bitter as one can expect from a law school grad (albeit a Pepperdine Law grad).

Gator Bowl At The Half: UVA 21 Texas Tech 7 originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Tue, 01 Jan 2008 14:38:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Posse On Bowl-way: Virginia

Ian Cohen — Tue, 01 Jan 2008 12:21:00 EST

Filed under: Virginia Football, ACC, Big 12, Bowl Games, Texas Tech Football

Happy To Be Here?

Well, if ticket sales are any indication, apparently not. But in terms of the team itself, it's not even a question. Virginia often played poorly in 2006, but by the end of the season, the defense had solidified and they had become far more competitive on their way to a 5-7 record. And by the way, if you ever want to quantify just how easy it is to get to a bowl game, consider the fact that if Virginia managed to pull one of their close losses out, they would have been eligible last year. This season, Al Groh copped ACC coach of the year honors by bringing his team to the precipice of the conference championship game and their first New Year's Day bowl in seemingly forever. One can question if Virginia's suspect schedule might have played a part in all of this or whether all of their close wins were more a matter of luck than talent, but once again, this team seemed to find its center late in the season thanks to the improvement of Jameel Sewell at QB and the discovery of Mikell Simpson as possibly the best run/catch threat at UVA since Tiki Barber.

Come Here Often?

Before their still-mindblowing win over Miami this season, Virginia had literally never won a game in the state of Flordia EVAR. Among those games was the Cavaliers' last Gator Bowl bid, a tilt with Oklahoma in 1991 that, uh, didn't work out so well.
Why Care?

You would think that Texas Tech in a technically meaningless game would be constitute its own sales pitch. More accurately, you can see a matchup of the two teams that pretty much caused Minnesota's Glen Mason to get fired; peep the Golden Gophers' last two bowl games and how they managed to lose them- blowing a 31 point third quarter lead to the Red Raiders in last year's Insight Bowl and blowing a 21-10 halftime lead to Virginia in 2005's Music City Bowl. Either way, it's not like you've got anything better to do.

And The Winner Is...

Most previews I've seen of this game has called it a battle of offensive chicanery vs. stout defense, mostly because that's what Texas Tech does year after year and Chris Long is probably the only player on Virginia that most national pundits have heard of. It's not that simple; while Virginia does happen to have a defense that's rather remarkable in terms of statistics, there's one little problem that I should bring up. All those close games UVA has managed to come out on top of (5 by 2 pts. or less) often were the result of teams (such as Maryland, Wake and UConn) failing to test the verrrrry shaky Cavalier defensive backfield, instead trying to power through the strength of the Hoos' 3-4 defense. Somehow I don't think this will apply to Texas Tech, and worse yet, rumor has it that Virginia's best corner, Chris Cook, has been declared ineligible for the game. Just check the stats from UVA's three losses in 2007- guys like Karsten Sween and Sean Glennon, accurate but physically unexceptional, went to town on these dudes. And while there is a precedent for a shaky UVA pass defense shutting down an all-world WR in a bowl (see: the 2003 Continental Tire Bowl against Larry Fitzgerald), there's also a more concerning precedent in regards to their last trip to Florida: a 63-21 dismantling at the hands of Kurt Kittner-led Illinois in the 1999 Micronpc.com Bowl.

Then again, as my fiancee has told me many a time since the bids were announced, Texas Tech is a stone cold lock to drop three or four games every single year despite their offensive mastery. Something to do with the fact that their offense eventually has to get off the field. Another precedent UVA can rely on is their last bowl bid, considering that many fans came into their matchup with Minnesota thinking that there was no way possible that they could stop the run. It's quite possible that a similar outcome could occur- Virginia can establish an offensive identity against a sketchy defense by relying on their running game and tight ends to keep Graham Harrell off the field and perhaps shorten the game. But as much as I'd like to see that, this was probably the worst matchup possible for Virginia and the score could reflect that.

Texas Tech 42 Virginia 27

Posse On Bowl-way: Virginia originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Tue, 01 Jan 2008 12:21:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New Year's Eve In Jacksonville Not As Popular As You'd Think

Ian Cohen — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 13:30:00 EST

Filed under: Virginia Football, ACC, BCS, Bowl Games, NCAA FB Fans

Virginia generally doesn't have a good reputation for bowl travel and it's pretty obvious why: college football's postseason not only coincides with the greatest annual wine tastings and art displays, but also the release of the latest models of Aston Martins. Most UVA alumni are too caught up in all of that to even consider going to some trifle of an American footballing contest.

Or there's the other explanation that it's a bit of a self-fulfilling prophecy, in that UVA's poor reputation for bowl travel lands them in lower-profile dates and thus furthers fan apathy. One might not think this would've been a problem this year, with the 9-3 Cavaliers securing their first New Year's Day bowl in about a decade and a half. Moreover, if you look at any of those "Ranking The Bowls" articles, the Gator Bowl generally tends to be in the higher portions, if for no other reason than "it's Texas Tech playing in a game that's technically meaningless."

And yet, once again Virginia is having trouble mobilizing its fans en masse according to recent reports. Coach Al Groh said he'd be disappointed with less than 30,000 UVA fans in attendance, and yeah- it's not even close right now. More along the lines of about 8,500 out of the 13,500 allotment- about 63%. This represents about half of what Virginia lapped up for the less prestigious but more conveniently located Continental Tire Bowls (now the Meineke Car Care) in 2002 and 2003.

It's come to the point where Virginia AD Craig Littlepage has been floating the idea of buying "proxy tickets";

"A school's ability to sell out its ticket allotment is an important factor in the selection process for future bowl games, so it's important that the tickets allocated to us are sold...Proxy tickets may be purchased if fans are unable to attend the game," Littlepage pointed out. "These tickets will be given to the Jacksonville Children's Commission to benefit area youth identified as at risk and part of the mayor's campaign to raise the literacy level in the city."

I mean, there's a lot of Qualcomm Stadium-ish angles to this thing. But the fact is, it's hard to separate which is the real culprit here: Virginian apathy to their football team or Virginian apathy towards spending New Year's Eve in...ugh..Jacksonville.

New Year's Eve In Jacksonville Not As Popular As You'd Think originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Thu, 13 Dec 2007 13:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ACC's Embattled Coaches Get Their Cake Up

Ian Cohen — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 13:06:00 EST

Filed under: Clemson Football, Virginia Football, ACC, BCS, NCAA FB Coaching

Frank Beamer and Jeff Jagodzinski might be coaching in the ACC Championship Game, but the joke's on them- they didn't get themselves extensions to contracts that were considered ridiculously questionable mere months ago. The coaches they beat no less than two weeks ago, Al Groh and Tommy Bowden, did. Which makes sense if you think about it; Beamer doesn't need the extension in writing considering you're more likely to see a Supreme Court justice or a major deity fired before he gets the axe. And as far as Jags goes, ACC coaches can't get an extension after their first year unless they achieve 4-win seasons and flirt with dead-end jobs in the SEC.

Groh's lucrative deal has always been a point of contention and it could very well be until the year 2011. Fresh off an ACC Coach of the Year honor, AD Craig Littlepage rewarded Groh's (and the fanbase's) perseverance with a one-year extension to a contract that will be paying him $2 million in 2008. As far as Bowden goes, yet another win over rival South Carolina (as well as a likely Gator Bowl appearance) has the athletic department promising an extension as well, though no terms have been set. Currently, he's on contract until 2010, with a salary of about $1.4 milly plus incentives.

You can argue that these extensions are more gestures than actual displays of faith, but from the looks of things, Clemson and Virginia both appear to be programs that are on the rise. Despite the excellent play of Cullen Harper, most Tiger fans might still see him as a placeholder for Willy Korn. As far as UVA, Groh finally has what looks like a stable roster of assistants and a young, talented squad. While neither have achieved that long-promised ACC Championship (or a spot in the game, more accurately), going for stability looks like the wise move at this point.

ACC's Embattled Coaches Get Their Cake Up originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Thu, 29 Nov 2007 13:06:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Al Groh: Your ACC Coach Of The Year

Ian Cohen — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: Virginia Football, ACC, BCS, NCAA FB Coaching

2007 has certainly provided more than its share of bizarre outcomes and hairpin turns of luck, and maybe that's for the best considering that the offseason could end up being even more strange. Rules changes, uniform adjustments, whatever Houston Nutt ends up getting into at Ole Miss...none of these will prepare me for what will be the first time in what seems like forever that Al Groh will not be in "coaches on the hot seat" lists. You will need something else to set your calendar to.

Fresh off a 9-3 season that was, at times, infuriating, exasperating, jubilant, but never boring, Groh was named ACC Coach of the Year for the second time in his career...and for the record, no, he never picked up that honor when he was at Wake Forest. The first followed the 2002 season, which bore great similarity to this one; coming off a 5-7 season in 2001 (the same record they had in 2006), Virginia was picked to finish 8th in the 9-team ACC, and despite starting the season with a crushing loss to a Mountain West team (Colorado State in 2002, Wyoming this season), they rebounded for a 2nd-place finish and nine wins, including a 48-22 decimation of West Virginia in the inaugural Continental Tire Bowl.
Yes, I'm fully aware that "Coach of the Year" is usually shorthand for "coach that wins more games than was expected," as opposed to the coach whose strategy and recruiting was far and away better than that of everyone else. Did Groh gameplan better than his opponents? Maybe, although due to a lack of explosive talent, Virginia finished near the middle in almost every offensive category. Were they better disciplined? Well, they did finish the season with the least amount of penalties in the conference. In the end, it's more a matter of a team not beating itself. The term most often associated with Groh's team this year was "resiliency," certainly better than "lucky," considering the NCAA-record 5 wins of 2 points or less. Still, you can't argue with how Virginia seemingly improved week after week on offense while the Groh father/son combo took fire for seeming nepotism, and played solid defense that allowed all those close games to be for the taking. At the very least, it's pretty amazing that Groh didn't forfeit the award so Frank Beamer could get it, considering all the conciliatory acts UVA made to Tech during the game last Saturday.

Which is not to say that Groh's playing with house money (above his near $2 million salary) until his contract expires. In fact, the cycle brings us back to the 2003 and 2004 seasons in which the Cavaliers were thought to have underperformed. Though they lose a Chris Long and a handful of other contributors (provided studs like Branden Albert and Eugene Monroe don't declare for the Draft), the vast majority of the team that took the field in 2007 will return. This is particularly important on offense, where Jameel Sewell will have another year of experience with an offensive gameplan that figured out how to properly use him. Though the opening tilt against USC is still frightening, anything less than a charge for the ACC title will have to be considered a letdown.

Al Groh: Your ACC Coach Of The Year originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Wed, 28 Nov 2007 17:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Earth Revolves Around Sun, VT Beats Virginia

Ian Cohen — Sun, 25 Nov 2007 18:36:00 EST

Filed under: Virginia Football, Virginia Tech Football, ACC, BCS

Whether it was intentional or not, yesterday's UVA/VT contest served to propagate long-held stereotypes about both schools. For ESPN's player introductions, Thomas Jones and Ronde Barber handled the assignment for Virginia in their typically erudite manner. For VT's, they threw it to a bunch of yahoos in the Scott Stadium parking lot. But more notably, the play on the field was rather indicative of why Virginia Tech beats Virginia more often than not, and why we shouldn't expect that to change under their respective regimes. This isn't to take away anything Al Groh's done this season; Wyoming or no Wyoming, 9-3 far outstrips most reasonable projections for his squad. But it's beginning to look like a cold reality that year after year, Virginia Tech is blessed with strengths that are almost specifically employed to exploit the weaknesses that Virginia teams have seemed to have year after year under Groh's watch.

Yesterday's 33-21 score (VT's 7th win in 8 years) reasonably captures the game's essence: competitive, but Virginia Tech never had to feel too nervous, particularly after Jameel Sewell's near-halftime INT led to Eddie Royal's astoundingly deflating TD grab. Because even with UVA's flair for the dramatic, it seemed like it was the same old story. On offense, while Virginia executed far more successfully than they have in years past (easily their best output since their last win...they damn near equaled their last three years worth of points), it's a system that desperately wants for playmakers that can stretch the field. Outside of Billy McMullen (a George Welsh recruit), one could argue that the most dangerous receiver Virginia has had under Al Groh was Marques Hagans. Relying on power running and short passes to a battery of tight ends, it can kept under wraps by a team with quick linebackers and sure-tackling corners. In other words, the exact defense Bud Foster puts on the field. I realize that Branden Ore had himself quite a contest, but UVA fans almost had to feel relieved any time he got the ball. Simply put, with Sean Glennon under center, if it was between 10-15 yards, Tech could have it. Easy. You would've thought MIke London was gameplanning for the U.S. 4 x 100 team with the kind of cushion the Hokie receivers were getting. Corresponding with their lack of edge speed on offense, Virginia's pass defense has been suspect all season, and the teams that chose to exploit this (NC State, UNC, Wyoming) more often than not came up big. Eddie Royal finished with 6 catches and 147 yards, but it felt like far more than that, considering most of it came in the first half. Vic Hall continues to play like someone way over his head, and Virginia's safeties continued to get abused by the sort of rangy, quick receivers that are a VT staple.
In terms of quarterbacking play, Tyrod Taylor looks like the real deal. His ability to escape pass rushers demoralized the Virginia defense, particularly on third down. Though there's almost no doubt that Jameel Sewell is the best fit for the Virginia offense that formed its identity during the course of the season, he doesn't quite have the natural speed of Taylor. And his UVA frosh counterpart Peter Lalich seems to have regressed over the span of this year, although that could likely be the result of an offensive gameplan that has been catered to Mikell Simpson and Sewell.. It remains to be seen how Taylor will be employed once Glennon is no longer around to keep defenses on edge, but there's more to his Vick comparisons than a number and a Tidewater homebase...just not the extracurricular activities.

As far as special teams, Virginia Tech had just enough game-changing plays to make a difference; on their first punt-return, Eddie Royal pitched a reverse that went for 42 yards and set the tone, and of course, there was the obligatory blocked punt. VT has almost completely reversed the sort of reputation that plagued them during their latter days in the Big East- they're a team that gets far more dangerous as the season goes on, and Boston College better be on their game to a far greater extent than they were last time they played. I mean, the game was technically meaningless, but they only beat Miami by 14!

Once again, this proves as a sobering reminder for Virginia that speed kills at the college level, and although Al Groh has admirably tried to recruit more athleticism over the last two years, it has yet to translate into something tangible on-field, although the play of Ras-I Dowling and Dontrelle Inman has been promising. It's not like VT always caps the recruiting top tens...they just seem to know what fits their program better, while Groh has put teams on the field that are talented, but unbalanced.

In terms of what Virginia can expect for a bowl game, they might be better off rooting for VT in the ACCCG. It'll be interesting to see how a BC win would cause things to play out. Tech has an incredible ability to mobilize, and if they were to be available for the Gator Bowl, they might rethink their stance of not taking the Champ loser this year. And though Clemson would be a very attractive option for the Chick Fil-A Bowl, I'm sure they wouldn't mind having the Hokies come back. For Virginia, the Champs Sports Bowl is the prohibitive choice, though the Gator Bowl could also be an option...and if they were to send an invite, it would be the Cavaliers' first New Years Day appearance in over a decade. Then again, I've seen prognostications that indicate a potential opponent in Texas Tech. Vic Hall. Michael Crabtree. Let that sink in, Wahoos.

Earth Revolves Around Sun, VT Beats Virginia originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Sun, 25 Nov 2007 18:36:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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