Story Links
July 15, 2003
Leftovers from a broadcasters’ notebook…
Did you know…..
University of Virginia quarterback Matt Schaub has been invitedto the West Coast for a camp called “The Elite Eleven”. Five of thetop signal callers in college football, including NC State’s PhilipRivers, will travel to San Diego, California to speak and work withthe top eleven high school rising senior qb’s in the country. Schaubtold me it’s more like a working vacation and he will able to squeezein a little golf. For more on the Heisman prospect and a special announcement,tune into WINA AM radio on Thursday the 17th at 7:20 am for my live interview with Schaub
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By the way, NC State has tabbed Rivers as the “frontrunner” forthe Heisman. Excuse me? Didn’t the Cavaliers produce the ACC playerof the year who returns for his senior season? Rivers is 26-12 as astarter but has never thrown a touchdown pass against the Cavs…theonly team in the ACC that can make that claim.
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Speaking of Schaub….he predicts Fontel Mines, the Hermitageproduct who could move into a back up wide receiver position rightaway, to have an all star career.
“He’s really good….tall, (6’5) and can run like a gazelle,” Matttold me. “He’s got great speed and hands. He could play right now.”
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Kevin McCabe, a 6’3 incoming quarterback from Wexford,Pennsylvania just outside Pittsburgh, has already arrived inCharlottesville to soak in the Schaub mystique. At Pine-Richland highschool McCabe ran an offense that had a lot of “West Coast”principles. The Super Prep All American came to town early to gothrough the afternoon passing skeletons that Schaub practices withhis receivers daily.
“He’s the man,” McCabe told me. “He has such a wonderful grasp ofthings. This is the perfect situation for me.”
McCabe was rated the #2 player in Pennsylvania by Rivals.com andthe #5 pro style quarterback in the country. He threw for 51touchdowns in his career and over 4800 yards.
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Speaking of football…it looks more and more like our game withSouth Carolina will be a night game. The September 6th match-up ispart of the Southeastern Conference’s television package, as of rightnow, and the Gamecocks are pecking for a 7pm start because of theheat.
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Congratulations to UVA tight end Heath Miller…named this pastweek as one of 22 players on the watch list for the John Mackey Awardpresented annually to the top D-1 tight end in the country. Agraduate of Honaker High in Southwest Virginia, Miller, as a firstyear player, caught 33 passes last season for nine touchdowns.
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Speaking of targets….the Cavalier’s Ryan Sawyer, Schaub’sroommate, will receive more playing time this year with thegraduation of Billy McMullen. As you might remember in last year’sContinental Tire Bowl the Marietta, Georgia native caught 4 passesfor 41 yards and during the 2002 season made several big plays onoffense and special teams. The 4th year Sawyer will move to the slotthis year and will more than likely be one of Schaub’s favoritetargets. Sawyer said his “roomie” is handling all of the Heisman hypewith grace.
“I’ll let him know if he gets a big head, but so far he hashandled all the attention well,” Sawyer said. “He still has to takeout the garbage, and when he leaves dirty dishes in the sink I lethim know about it.”
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The Richmond Coliseum owes Virginia five basketball games due to the”ice bowl” game against Michigan State. For several weeks it appearedUVA would host Auburn on December 16th this season but theTigers…for whatever reason…pulled out. Pete Gillen and the guyswill host James Madison on that date and are still talking to schoolsin major conferences about coming to the state capitol for a game. Until nextweek…