Cavaliers Ranked 19th in Coaches' Preseason Poll

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July 30, 2004

Charlottesville, Va. – The Cavalier football team is ranked 19th in the ESPN/USA Today preseason coaches’ poll released today. This is the second year in a row Virginia has been ranked in the coaches’ preseason poll; last season UVa was ranked 17th in the preseason rankings.

Virginia faces four teams ranked in the preseason top 25-#5 Miami (F), #6 Florida State, #15 Clemson and #20 Maryland. In addition Georgia Tech and Virginia Tech are among the unranked teams receiving votes.

The top-three squads from last season’s final poll remain in the top three but have shuffled positions. Co-national champion Southern California sits atop the poll, while fellow champion LSU is third. Oklahoma, runner up in last season’s national championship game is ranked second.

Virginia head coach Al Groh welcomes back 16 starters from last season’s 8-5 squad when training camp opens on Aug. 11. The Cavaliers, who were picked to finish third in the ACC by media attending the ACC Kickoff, open the season at Temple on Sept. 4.

Below is this year’s preseason ESPN/USA Today Coaches’ Poll.

2004 ESPN/USA Today Preseason Poll

   Team (1st-place votes)      '03 Record     Pts     '03 ranking1. Southern California (44)     12-1          1,500    22. Oklahoma (12)                12-2          1,426    33. LSU (5)                      13-1          1,387    14. Georgia                      11-3          1,328    65. Miami (Fla.)                 11-2          1,246    56. Florida State                10-3          1,177    107. Michigan                     10-3          1,128    78. Texas                        10-3          1,087    119. Ohio State                   11-2          1,030    410. Florida                     8-5           691      2511. West Virginia               8-5           684      NR12. Iowa                        10-3          642      813. Kansas State                11-4          639      1314. Tennessee                   10-3          598      1615. California                  8-6           566      NR16. Clemson                     9-4           503      2217. Missouri                    8-5           502      NR18. Auburn                      8-5           473      NR19. Virginia                    8-5           453      NR20. Maryland                    10-3          443      2021. Utah                        10-2          438      2122. Wisconsin                   7-6           248      NR23. Minnesota                   10-3          187      17    Purdue                      9-4           187      1925. Oregon                      8-5           175      NR

Also receiving votes
Nebraska (10-3) 151; Oregon State (8-5) 101; Boise State (13-1) 99;Washington State (10-3) 86; North Carolina State (8-5) 84; Louisville (9-4) 78;Virginia Tech (8-5) 62; TCU (11-2) 50; Oklahoma State (8-5) 41; Toledo (8-4) 33;Memphis (9-4) 27; Georgia Tech (7-6) 25; Notre Dame (5-7) 25; Bowling Green (11-3) 22;Brigham Young (4-8) 21; Miami (Ohio) (13-1) 21; Fresno State (9-5) 17; MichiganState (8-5) 16; Pittsburgh (8-5) 14; Marshall (8-4) 13; Alabama (4-9) 12; Arkansas (9-4) 12;Boston College (8-5) 10; Northern Illinois (10-2) 10; San Diego State (6-6) 8;Colorado State (7-6) 7; Mississippi (10-3) 7; UCLA (6-7) 7; Texas Tech (8-5) 6;Hawaii (9-5) 5; Texas A&M (4-8) 5; Southern Mississippi (9-4) 4; Penn State (3-9) 2; Air Force (7-5) 1; Arizona (2-10) 1; Arizona State (5-7) 1; Connecticut (9-3) 1;New Mexico (8-5) 1; Washington (6-6) 1.