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Sept. 1, 2005
Virginia head football coach Al Groh fondly remembers the situation from four years ago. Groh, Golden, Prince and Co. were the new kids on the block and teams that appeared on the Cavaliers’ schedule were scrambling to get a read on what the UVA staff was going to bring to the table on Saturdays. There were questions about the 3-4, how Groh loved the tight end, the fullback in the flat, the zone blitz, and west coast offensive principles.
Well, turn the tables and you have game one on the Virginia schedule.
“We will be stretching the limits on focus and concentration,” Groh told the gathered media Tuesday. The situation is reversed from four years ago when we were the new staff in town.”
Mid American Conference representative Western Michigan completes a two-year contract Saturday in a 6pm match up in the Carl Smith Center. Bill Cubit, a 19-year college veteran, who was the offensive coordinator for the past three years at Stanford, with stops in the SEC, Big XII, and Big East along the way, coaches the Broncos.
“This is a good test for everyone,” Groh said. “Our first two games are against teams with new coaching staffs. We have a blue print of what they are going to do but it’s hard to determine. We just have to have our eyes open and hang loose. Adjustments are going to be an interesting issue.”
“We have a lot of veterans, guys from the long end of the spectrum that have played a lot of football. Guys like (Brennan) Schmidt, (Kai) Parham, and (Wali) Lundy. But we have twelve positions with little or no game experience. It’s the most inexperienced team since we’ve been here. A player’s ability to process adjustments can make a difference and sometimes that is difficult for younger players.”
Virginia returns 33 letterman this season, the fewest since ’02 (31) under Groh. The 12 returning starters represent the fewest returnees during the Groh era.
“We’ve seen some really good things in camp,” Groh said. “The other day left guard (Brandon) Albert pulled on a play just like Elton (Brown) used to. It was the best the play ever looked. In several spots we have had very good competition every week.”
The defensive line is another example where depth is critical.
“Names have to become playable depth. Right now they are just a mirage.”
And what about emotion, especially for the class of ’09?
“We are talking to the whole team. A lot goes into helping young players have a peak performance 11 times. We expect the older players to mentor.”
All the while there will be no lowered expectations and no excuses. Just one play and one game at a time. In many ways, this could be one of Virginia’s better football teams.
Football 101 begins Saturday.
SATURDAY GAME NOTES:
The Cavs will start one true freshman, Brandon Albert at left guard, and one red shirt freshman on defense, Clint Sintim, at outside linebacker. 12 to 14 rookies will play against the Broncos.
Reserve linebacker Bryan White makes his return to the football team after 10 months away from the game. White injured his back in last year’s opener against Temple and had surgery in October for disc herniation. When asked what it will feel like to run out of the locker room prior to Saturday’s game he said, “I’m going to be so excited, I hope I don’t trip over the fog.”
Another player returns to the team this Saturday after a year’s absence, wide receiver Ottawa Anderson. “I’ve tried to be a mentor, a leader to the other receivers,” Anderson said. “But they are grown up and they know what to do. I think all of us are going to have big years.”
Special thanks to Michael Colley in Media Relations for this nugget.
Saturday, quarterback Marques Hagans will join Scott Gardner as the only two quarterbacks in school history to start under center in at least one game in four different seasons. Gardner did it after the restoration of freshman eligibility from 1972 to 1975. Hagans started the Florida State game in ’02. Following an injury to Matt Schaub in ’03, “Biscuit” got the nod at Western Michigan. Last year Hagans started all 12 games for the `Hoos.