Game Notes

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Aug. 20, 2001

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Game #1

Virginia (0-0, 0-0 ACC) at Wisconsin (0-0, 0-0 Big Ten)

Date: Saturday, August 25, 2001 (Eddie Robinson Classic)

Site: Camp Randall Stadium (76,634/artificial turf) in Madison, Wisconsin

Kickoff: 2:00 p.m. (eastern)

Television: Saturday’s game will be televised on Fox Sports Net with JoelMeyers (play-by-play), James Lofton (color commentary), and Eric Clemons(sideline), and shown in the Mid-Atlantic Area by Comcast SportsNet.

Radio: All Virginia games are broadcast on the Virginia Sports Networkoriginating at WINA/WWWV in Charlottesville. Mac McDonald calls the play byplay and Frank Quayle, the 1968 ACC Football Player of the Year, providesthe color commentary. Former UVa quarterback Gene Arnette provides sidelineanalysis.

Websites: Virginia (www.virginiasports.com), Wisconsin (www.uwbadgers.com)The radio broadcast can be heard live over the internet via Virginia’s homepage- www.virginiasports.com.

NEW ERA BEGINS FOR VIRGINIA FOOTBALL
The “Al Groh Era” kicks off Saturday as the Cavaliers travel to Madison,Wisc., to face the Wisconsin Badgers in the Eddie Robinson Classic.Groh, head coach of the New York Jets last season, was introduced asVirginia’s new head coach at a press conference on Jan. 5. He returns to hisalma mater, replacing George Welsh who retired after 19 seasons at the helmof the program.

Groh brings an impressive array of coaching credentials with him toCharlottesville. He has served in various capacities in the professionalranks since 1989, including serving as the Jets’ head coach and as defensivecoordinator with several teams. He worked as an assistant to Bill Parcellsfor 13 years in college and the NFL, and took over for him as the Jets’ headcoach after Parcells stepped down following the 1999 season.

This is Groh’s second stint as a collegiate head coach. His first came atWake Forest, where his teams compiled a 26-40 record from 1981-86.At the time, he was the second-winningest coach in school history. While atWake Forest Groh helped develop 14 players who would later go on to play inthe NFL, the most concentrated group of pro players produced in Wake Foresthistory.

CAVALIERS KICK OFF ANOTHER CAMPAIGN
The Cavaliers open their 112th season of play — and their first under new headcoach Al Groh — this Saturday against Wisconsin in the Eddie Robinson Classic.Virginia almost always opened at home from the program’s early days in the1880s until the late 1960s. In fact, from 1888-1966, the Cavaliers opened athome in 73 of 79 seasons.

But since 1967, UVa has opened on the road more often than not — 18 openerssince then have been on the road (not including neutral sites). Overall thisis the 22nd time in the program’s history Virginia has opened on the road.All-time Virginia is 73-29-9 in season openers. The Cavaliers haven’t beenas successful in their road openers throughout the years. They have compileda 39-66-4 all-time record in road openers. It’s interesting to note thatVirginia has won the last two times the season opener has been on the road(1998-Auburn, `99-North Carolina).

When the first game of the season has been on the road Virginia is 6-13-2all-time, but has won three of the last five times when the season hasopened on the road.

GROH OPENS FOR SECOND TIME IN WISCONSIN
New head coach Al Groh was the head coach at Wake Forest from 1981-86 andthe head coach of the NFL’s New York Jets last season. During his sixseasons at Wake Forest his Demon Deacon squads opened at home each year andcompiled a 3-3 record in season openers.

This is the second year in a row Groh’s teams have started the season with agame in Wisconsin. Last year, Groh’s Jets opened the season with a 20-16 winover the Packers in Green Bay.

WISCONSIN IS FIRST-TIME OPPONENT
The Cavaliers face one of the most demanding schedules in school historythis season. They go outside of their usual playing area to face Wisconsinin the Eddie Robinson Classic this Saturday. The game is the first meetingbetween the two schools.

The Badgers are the first first-time opponent for Virginia since San JoseState in 1998 as the Cavaliers expand their list of recent non-conferenceopponents. Among other high profile non-conference opponents that Virginiahas played during the regular season in the last 10 years or so includeAuburn, Brigham Young, Kansas, Michigan and Texas.

The Cavaliers also host Penn State in the season’s third game on Sept. 13.Wisconsin is the 46th different NCAA Division I-A program the Cavaliers havefaced in their history.

VIRGINIA APPEARS IN THIRD “PRESEASON” GAME
The match-up against Wisconsin in the Eddie Robinson Classic marks the third”preseason” game for the Cavaliers, who are still searching for their first”preseason” win. Virginia fell to Notre Dame 36-13 in the 1989 KickoffClassic at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., and to Michigan 18-17 inthe 1995 Pigskin Classic in Ann Arbor, Mich.

GROH’S TEAMS EXCEL IN NON-CONFERENCE ROAD GAMES
New head coach Al Groh makes his Virginia coaching debut on the road againstWisconsin on Saturday. Groh, who compiled a 26-40 record as the head coachat Wake Forest from 1981-86, had remarkable success on the road againstnon-conference foes while at Wake Forest. His Demon Deacon squads posted an8-4 record in non-league road games, including wins over Auburn in 1981,Virginia Tech in 1982 and 1983, and Army in 1986. Overall, Groh’s recordagainst non-conference opponents is 19-6.

SCOUTING THE BADGERS
The Eddie Robinson Classic will mark the first game of the 2001 season forWisconsin. The Badgers enter the 2001 season with a five-game winningstreak, but lost 45 percent of their letterwinners from last year’s squadthat registered a 9-4 overall record.

Junior quarterback Brooks Bollinger, who passed for 1,479 yards in 2000,will lead the Wisconsin offense. Michael Bennett, the leading rusher fromlast season, was lost to the NFL, leaving three red-shirt freshmen tocompete for playing time at running back. Junior Lee Evans is Wisconsin’stop returning receiver after averaging 19.2 yards per reception in 2000.

On defense, the Badgers are led by senior lineman Wendell Bryant. TheCo-Big Ten lineman of the Year in 2000, he registered 48 tackles and sixsacks. Senior linebacker Nick Greisen led the Big Ten in tackles a year agowith 146, and recorded six sacks. The secondary will be led by seniordefensive back Mike Echols, who led the Big Ten with 25 pass break-ups lastseason. Head coach Barry Alvarez has led Wisconsin to a 79-48-4 record andthree Big Ten championships in 11 years.

CAVALIERS vs. BIG TEN
This is Virginia’s first game against a Big Ten school since dropping a63-21 decision to Illinois in the 1999 Micronpc.com Bowl.The Cavaliers have lost three straight to the Big Ten since a 27-24 win overPurdue in the 1984 Peach Bowl in Atlanta in the first bowl game in schoolhistory.

The Cavaliers are 2-7 all-time against the Big Ten. Virginia’s two wins overBig Ten schools are a 47-0 triumph over the University of Chicago in 1939and a 27-24 win over Purdue in the 1984 Peach Bowl. (Chicago left the BigTen in 1940).

Virginia is 1-1 vs. Purdue, 0-3 vs. Michigan, 0-2 vs. Illinois and 0-1 vs.Ohio State.

Curiously, this is the first of two meetings vs. Big Ten schools thisseason. The Cavaliers host Penn State on Sept. 13. They are 1-4 vs. theNittany Lions but every game occurred prior to Penn State’s entry into theBig Ten in 1993.

This also marks the first time since 1976 that the Cavaliers have played tworegular season games against teams from the same conference. UVa facedSouthern Conference members VMI and William & Mary during the Bicentennialyear.

Saturday’s game will mark Coach Al Groh’s first against a Big Ten opponent.

Virginia vs. the Big Ten (2-7)

Date	        Opponent	Result (site)Nov. 4, 1899	Michigan	L, 0-38 (Detroit, Mich.)Oct. 7, 1933	Ohio State	L, 0-75 (Columbus, Ohio)Nov. 4, 1939	Chicago	        W, 47-0 (Charlottesville, Va.)Sept. 21, 1968	Purdue	        L, 6-44 (West Lafayette, Ind.)Sept. 18, 1971	Michigan	L, 0-56 (Ann Arbor, Mich.)Dec. 31, 1984	Purdue	        W, 27-24 (Peach Bowl, Atlanta, Ga.)Jan. 1, 1990	Illinois	L, 21-31 (Florida Citrus Bowl, Orlando, Fla.)Aug. 26, 1995	Michigan	L, 17-18 (Pigskin Classic, Ann Arbor, Mich.)Dec. 30, 1999	Illinois	L, 21-63 (Micronpc.com Bowl, Miami, Fla.)

VIRGINIA ON ARTIFICIAL TURF
Virginia’s home stadium, Scott Stadium, featured an artificial surface from1974-94 before being replaced with natural grass prior to the 1995 season.Since 1995 it has been relatively rare for the Cavaliers to play on anartificial surface, mainly since no schools in the ACC play on it.In fact, this is UVa’s fifth game on an artificial surface since 1995, butonly the second regular season game.

The Cavaliers played two games in 1995 on artificial turf — a last play 17-16loss to Texas in Austin and a dramatic last minute 34-27 win over Georgia inthe `95 Peach Bowl in the Georgia Dome. They also lost to Georgia in the `98Peach Bowl and in the 2000 O’ahu Bowl in Honolulu, Hawaii, on artificialturf.

2001 TEAM CAPTAINS CHOSEN
Seniors Monsanto Pope and Antwoine Womack have been elected captains of the2001 UVa football squad in a vote of their teammates.

Pope, a defensive tackle from Hopewell, Va., has been a mainstay along thedefensive line throughout his collegiate career. He started every game lastseason and led the team’s defensive tackles with 33 tackles, while alsorecording a team-high 13 quarterback hurries. He received the Colonel FrankC. McCue Award last season as UVa’s Outstanding Interior Lineman. His 72career tackles and 11 tackles for loss are second among active UVa defensivelinemen.

Womack, the ACC’s leading rusher last season, looks to become only the thirdplayer in school history to rush for 1000 yards in consecutive seasons. Heled the ACC with 1028 yards last fall and is 14th in school history with1944 career yards rushing.

Senior guard Evan Routzahn and junior linebacker Merrill Robertson wereselected alternate captains. They will serve as captains in the event Popeor Womack are unable to play in a game.

CAVALIERS STILL AMONG SELECT GROUP
Despite finishing with a 6-6 record last season and failing to win sevengames for the first time since 1986, Virginia remains one of only 10 schoolsin the nation that hasn’t finished below .500 since at least 1986.The Cavaliers won at least seven games every season from 1987-99 and is theonly school in ACC history to compile as many as 10 consecutive seasons of7+ wins. Virginia was joined by Florida State, Michigan and Nebraska as theonly schools in the nation to win at least seven games every year duringthat span.

A list of the schools with the longest stretch of non-losing seasons isbelow.

School	Consec.	Last season below .5001.	Nebraska	39	19612.	Michigan	33	19673.	Brigham Young	27	19734.	Florida State	24	1976	Washington	24	19766.	Florida	        21	19797.	Texas A&M	18	19828.	Marshall*	17	19839.	Virginia	14	1986	Syracuse	14	1986* first season of I-A play was 1997