Virginia Hosts Duke in Home Opener Saturday
Story Links
Sept. 4, 2007
Complete Release in PDF Format
Download Free Acrobat Reader
Virginia Cavaliers (0-1, 0-0 ACC) vs. Duke Blue Devils (0-1, 0-0 ACC)
Game 2: Saturday, Sept. 8, Noon
Carl Smith Center, home of David A. Harrison III Field at Scott Stadium (61,500), Charlottesville, Va.
Surface: Prescription Athletic Turf
Series vs. Duke: UVa leads 31-27
Last Meeting: UVa 37, Duke 0, 2006
Television: LFS/Raycom ACC Network
Radio: Virginia Sports Network
Satellite Radio: XM Radio Ch. 192
TV Coverage
This game is being televised regionally on the Lincoln Financial Sports/Raycom ACC network. Steve Martin (play-by-play), Rick “Doc” Walker (analyst) and Mike Hogewood (sidelines) call the action.
Radio Coverage
All Virginia games are broadcast on the Virginia Sports Network, originating at WINA/WWWV in Charlottesville. Mac McDonald calls the play-by-play. He is joined in the broadcast booth by former Cavalier great Frank Quayle, the 1968 ACC?Player of the Year. Former UVa quarterback Tim Sherman reports from the sidelines.
Things you Need to Know
• Virginia has won five of six home openers under head coach Al Groh
• Virginia has won seven consecutive games against Duke
• The Cavaliers have won their ACC opener seven of the last nine years
• Virginia has outscored Duke 556-191 in the last 17 games (avg. 32.7 to 11.2)
• Duke has not rushed for 200 yards against UVa since 1983
Cavaliers Open ACC Slate
Virginia opens its conference schedule against Duke Saturday. This is the fifth time in the last six seasons the Cavaliers have opened their ACC schedule at home.
The Cavaliers have won their last three league openers, but haven’t won four in a row since 1998-2001.
Through the years, the Cavaliers have not had much success in their ACC opener, but they have picked things up recently. Virginia is just 20-33 in the first ACC game of the season, but has won its opener seven of the last nine years.
Virginia in Home and ACC Openers
• Virginia is 85-25-7 (.756) all-time in home openers through the years.
• The Cavaliers have done well in the first home game of the season under head coach Al Groh, winning five of six
• Overall, UVa has won 19 of its last 22 home openers, including 12 straight from 1985-96.
• The Cavaliers are also opening their ACC schedule this weekend
• Through the years, the Cavaliers have not had much success in their ACC opener, but they have picked things up recently
• Virginia is 20-33 in the first ACC game of the season, but has won its opener seven of the last nine years.
• In ACC home openers, Virginia has had much better success overall with a 25-28 all-time mark. The Cavaliers have won five of six ACC home openers under Al Groh and 18 of the last 20.
The Series vs. the Blue Devils
• At one time Duke had a 12-game advantage in the series, but by winning 20 of the last 24 meetings since 1982, UVa has taken the series lead.
• The Cavaliers own a 31-27 all-time lead in the series that dates back to the 19th century (1890)
• This series, as well as the ones with Georgia Tech and Wake Forest are the only ACC series of .500 or better for Virginia.
• One oddity is that UVa’s oldest opponent this season isn’t North Carolina or Virginia Tech–UVa’s two most common opponents–but Duke.
• Virginia has won the last seven meetings, its longest winning streak ever against the Blue Devils.
• Duke’s most recent win in the series occurred in Charlottesville when the it shocked the Cavaliers 24-17 in overtime in 1999.
Off to Quick Start
• Another characteristic of Virginia’s recent success vs. Duke has been the Cavaliers’ ability to score early in the game. Virginia scored on its first drive of the game seven times in the last 17 meetings (1990, `92, `93, `94, `02, `03, `06).
Offense Excels vs. Blue Devils
• The Cavaliers have put on some impressive offensive performances against Duke in the recent past
• Virginia has scored at least 30 points in 15 of the last 24 meetings against the Blue Devils and topped 40 points five times
• The Cavaliers have outscored Duke 556-191 in the last 17 games
• Since 1983, Virginia is averaging 33.6 points and 420.8 yards of total offense per game.
• The Cavaliers have ground out an average of 195.3 yards rushing and passed for an average of 225.5 yards per game
• Virginia outgained Duke 253 to 100 last season, the 17th time in the last 18 meetings the Cavaliers have outgained the Blue Devils
Containing the Duke Rushing Attack
• Virginia has done an outstanding job of stopping Duke’s rushing attack while winning 15 of the last 17 meetings
• The Blue Devils have rushed for more than 105 yards just six times since 1990.
• In the last 22 games Duke has rushed for 100+ yards only 11 times
• Since 1990 Duke has averaged 91.1 yards per game and 2.6 yards per carry against UVa.
• Duke hasn’t had very many long runs vs. UVa recently.
• Leroy Gallman’s 76-yard burst in 1991 is by far the longest rushing play by a Blue Devil ballcarrier since 1990. It is also one of only four carries of more than 20 yards in the last 17 games.
• All told Duke has had just 18 rushing plays of more than 13 yards against Virginia’s defense since 1990.
• Duke hasn’t rushed for more than 200 yards against Virginia since 1983 when the Blue Devils gained 238 yards rushing in a 38-30 UVa win.
• Virginia has out-rushed Duke in 25 of the last 28 meetings, including each time from 1983-1999. (Duke had the ground advantage in 1982, 2000 and `02).
• Last season Virginia held the Blue Devils to -21 yards rushing thanks to nine quarterback sacks, tied for the fifth-fewest rushing yards allowed by the Cavalier defense in school history
Not Much Through the Air Either
• The Blue Devils have had a rough time through the air recently against the Cavaliers
• They have passed for 1878 yards in the last 11 games combined (average of 170.7 ypg) • Duke has thrown 17 interceptions vs. just seven touchdowns in that span.
Bounce Back Wins
• Following the season-opening loss to Wyoming, Virginia has lost four season openers under Al Groh
• Virginia has bounced back to win the following week twice (2001, `06)
• The Cavaliers have also lost seven games by 20 or more points under Groh since 2002
• They have bounced back to win the following game on six occasions since then
Five Cavaliers Compete as Grad Students
• Five Cavaliers have already received their undergraduate degrees and will be participating as graduate students this season.
• The list of grad students and their undergraduate degrees include:
– NT Allen Billyk (economics)
– G Ian-Yates Cunningham (psychology)
– LB Jermaine Dias (sociology)
– C Jordy Lipsey (sociology)
– G Gordie Sammis (government)
• UVa has had 104 players play as grad students in the past 18 seasons.
• Only six schools have more players playing as grad students that Virginia
Eighteen Returning Starters
• Virginia features 18 returning starters this season, eight on offense, 10 on defense
• Both kicking specialists also return
• Only two schools have more returning starters: UCLA-20, Utah St.-19
• This is UVa’s most returning starters since the 1989 team also had 18. That squad won the school’s first ACC championship.
• The eight returnees on offense are Virginia’s most since 2003 (9).
• Virginia is one of nine schools to return as many as 10 defensive starters. Utah State returns all 11. Virginia ranked 17th in the country in total defense last season.
• This is the first time since 1977 Virginia has returned as many as 10 defensive starters.
Walk-On Success
• The starting line-up features three players who joined the program as walk-ons.
– ILB Jon Copper
– S Byron Glaspy
– WR Staton Jobe
• Copper was an undersized high schooler in Roanoke, Va., who spent a post grad year at nearby Fork Union Military Academy. He redshirted his freshman year (2004) and played mostly special teams the following season. Last year he worked his way into the starting line-up and was the leading tackler
• Glaspy stepped out of the student body and joined the team during the spring of 2005. He moved into the starting line-up for the final four games that season
• Jobe camped at UVa while in high school. A sprint champ in high school in Austin, Texas, he redshirted last fall, but moved into the receiver spot vacated following the injury to Kevin Ogletree.
Other UVa Walk-Ons
• Virginia has had remarkable success with walk-ons through the years
• Head coach Al Groh, a walk-on himself at UVa, says his philosophy is to play the players who give the team the best chance to win
• Notable former UVa walk-ons include:
– all-time leading scorer PK Connor Hughes
– NFL Pro Bowler DE Patrick Kerney
– NFL 1000-yard WR Patrick Jeffers
– Academic All-American DB Stephen Phelan
– Two-year starting FB Kase Luzar
– Current ST standout Josh Zidenberg
Three Walk-ons In Starting Line-Up
• With three walk-on players in the starting line-up this season, it will be the first time in 10 years so many have started for UVa
• In 1997, DE Patrick Kerney, WR Bryan Owen, and CB/S Stephen Phelan started six games together.
• Only five schools have more starters who came as walk-ons that UVa. Florida International leads the way with five in its starting line-up, while Central Michigan, Colorado, Florida Atlantic and Utah all have four.
Several True Frosh Play In Opener
• Head coach Al Groh has not been afraid to play true freshmen at UVa.
• 52 players have played as true freshmen under Groh, including 23 on this year’s roster
• NT Nate Collins was the only true freshman to play last season. The rest of his recruiting class was redshirted.
• In the opener vs. Wyoming, LS Danny Aiken, WR Dontrelle Inman and QB Peter Lalich played
• Lalich got in for the final series to become the first true freshman QB to play for UVa since Dan Ellis in 1997
Offensive Line Returns Intact
• Virginia is one of the few teams that return all five offensive line starters from a year ago.
• This is the first time this has happened for the Cavaliers since 2004.
• That season UVa led the ACC in rushing with an average of 242.8 yards, an improvement of more than 112 yards per game.
• LG Branden Albert, a preseason All-ACC choice, shares the team lead with 24 career starts
• Two members of the O-Line have already earned their degrees: RG Ian-Yates Cunningham and C Jordy Lipsey
• LT Eugene Monroe was the top line recruit in the country in 2005
• RT Will Barker was a second-team Freshman All-American last year
Sewell Sets Rookie Records
• Jameel Sewell started the final nine games last season as a redshirt freshman and set virtually every UVa passing record for a freshman
• He finished 11th in passing efficiency in the ACC
• Believed to be only the third left-handed QB in school history (Jimmy Lesane 1949-51, Whitey Clarke 1954-56)
• Was team’s second-leading rusher last year with 200 yards and four touchdowns
• Among the freshman records he set last season are:
Yards passing 1342
Touchdown passes 5
Attempts 247
Completions 143
Completion % 57.9
Total offense yards 1542
Yards passing in a game 243
Yards of total offense in a game 335
Completions in a game 23
Peerman Gets Nod at Tailback
• Junior Cedric Peerman has won the starting tailback job with an impressive preseason
• He led the team in rushing vs. Wyoming with a very modest 18 yards
• He is the team’s leading active rusher with 408 yards in his career
• Rushed for 153 yards a year ago
• Ran indoor and outdoor track (sprints, relays) with the UVa track team
New Faces in the Backfield
• Virginia is sure to have a different rushing leader for the fifth year in a row
• First time since 2002 no player on the roster has 500 career rushing yards
• First time since 1977 no player on the roster has a 100-yard game
Bad Karma at Wide Receiver
• Virginia has been unlucky regarding its leading wide receiver each of the last two years.
• Last season Deyon Williams was coming off a 58-catch season, but he injured his foot during training camp and was never the same
• This year’s leading returning receiver, Kevin Ogletree, injured his knee in the spring
• He had surgery, but has not returned to action
Tight End U
• UVa can easily be called “Tight End U” under head coach Al Groh
• Seniors Tom Santi and Jonathan Stupar, and junior John Phillips form one of best units in country
• Redshirt freshman Joe Torchia is also an excellent prospect
• Pittsburgh Steeler standout Heath Miller won John Mackey Trophy in 2004 as nation’s top TE
• Santi’s 63 career receptions lead team, rank eighth by a TE in school history
• Stupar 42 receptions are second on team, 16th all-time by UVa TE
• Phillips has been primarily a blocker but is likely to be more involved in passing game
• UVa TE have caught 320 passes for 3701 yards and 30 TDs since 2001, by far the best figures in the ACC in that time
UVa Tight End Receiving Leaders
Name No.
1 Heath Miller 144
… 5 Jim Wicks 73
6 Ed Carrington 70
7 Kevin Riccio 66
8 Tom Santi 63
9 Billy Baber 54
… 12 Jim Colleran 51
13 Mike Newhall 50
Bobby Neely 50
15 Joel Dempsey 44
16 Jonathan Stupar 42
Covington Set to Step Up
• Junior Maurice Covington looks to be the wide receiver most likely to make up for the catches lost due to Kevin Ogletree’s injury
• Will use his 6-4 frame to get separation
• Led the team with four receptions vs. Wyoming
• 15 career receptions are tops among team’s active WR
• Six receptions for 45 yards in `06 are best among WR on roster (since Andrew Pearman is now at TB)
New Producers at Wide Receiver
• Two freshmen saw quite a bit of action at wide receiver last week against Wyoming
• Redshirt freshman Staton Jobe started for the first time in his career, while Dontrelle Inman was one of three true freshmen to play for the Cavaliers
• Jobe led the team with 27 receiving yards on just two catches
• His 17-yard catch was UVa’s longest of the game
• Inman also caught two passes for a total of 21 yards
• He had a nice 14-yard play that he nearly broke for a very long gain
1-2 Tacklers Return
• ILB Jon Copper led the team in tackles last season with 81, while fellow ILB Antonio Appleby was second with 68
• Copper led the squad in tackling a team-leading six times, while Appleby was high man twice
• Both players started all 12 games a year ago during their sophomore seasons
• Copper had a big offseason following the marriage to his wife, Holly
• He received the Speed Elliott Award as the team’s most improved player last season
• Appleby also improved from last season and was named the team’s Rock Weir Award winner as the most improved player in the spring
Long Earns Preseason All-America Nod
• Senior defensive end Chris Long has been named to a host of preseason All-America lists
• One of three returning starters on d-line
• Team captain for second consecutive year
• On watch lists for several prestigious awards, including the Bednarik Award (nation’s best defensive player), the Nagurski Award (outstanding defensive player) and the Ted Hendricks Award (defensive end of the year)
• Fourth among ACC defensive linemen in tackling last year with an average of 4.8 tpg
• Finished with seven tackles, including two sacks, against Wyoming
• Had six QB hurries vs. the Cowboys, the second-highest total of his career
• Leads Cavaliers with 114 career tackles, 25 TFL, eight QBS
• 53 quarterback hurries in last three seasons
36 & 36
• Head coach Al Groh has set a goal this season of 36 sacks and 36 turnovers by the defense this season (avg. three per game)
• Reaching those goals on a consistent basis should make for a very successful season if history is any indication.
• The Cavaliers had four sacks vs. Wyoming last week, their most in eight games dating back to last season
• Under Groh, Virginia is 22-6 (.786) when recording at least three sacks and 18-5 (.783) when forcing at least three turnovers
• The Cavaliers have won 18 of their last 21 games when dropping the quarterback three times and 16 of their 17 when getting at least three takeaways.
Fitzgerald Wreaks Havoc
• Jeffrey Fitzgerald blossomed last year as a redshirt freshman playing opposite Chris Long at defensive end
• Unanimous freshman All-American
• Averaged 5.3 tackles per game, top in nation among freshmen linemen
• Six sacks set UVa rookie record and ranked third in the country for freshmen
• 64 tackles were tops among UVa linemen
• Seven tackles and an interception against Wyoming last week
• Three career interceptions are tied with Nate Lyles for the most on the team
Vic Hall Gets First Start
• Sophomore CB Vic Hall was one of the most dynamic quarterbacks during his high school career
• When he got to UVa he was moved to cornerback since the program was well-stocked with QBs
• Was expected to battle Mike Brown for the starting nod at cornerback, but a summer knee injury knocked Brown out of action
• Standout special teams performer who shared team lead with Brown with seven punt coverage tackles
• Made four tackles vs. Wyoming, tying his career high and his most as a defensive back
Sintim Returns in Top Shape
• Junior OLB Clint Sintim reported to training camp in the best shape of his life according to him
• Following a stellar rookie campaign in 2005, he was hindered by a shoulder injury last fall and had offseason surgery to correct the problem
• Was not a full go in the spring as a result
• Made a career-high 10 tackles in last week’s game vs. Wyoming
• Currently second on team behind Chris Long in career tackles (108), TFLs (21) and sacks (7)
Cook Has Star Potential
• Junior Chris Cook is attempting to become the first UVa CB to earn first-team All-ACC honors since Ronde Barber did it three times from 1994-96
• At 6-2, 201, he has the size to be an exceptional cornerback and is a vastly underrated performer
• Led the secondary with 58 tackles last year
• Made career-high 12 tackles vs. Wyoming, the most by a Cavalier in `06
• Led the team with 11 tackles, including five solos, against Wyoming last week
Gould Switches Approach
• Placekicker Chris Gould has worked hard since last season on improving his accuracy to better his 11 of 19 performance of 2006
• He switched from a three-step to a two-step approach to help him, which is paying off according to Al Groh
• Made his only attempt from 42 yards last week vs. Wyoming
• It is his longest FG in five games since two 43-yarders vs. North Carolina last October
• Is tied with Jeff Gaffney for 12th on UVa’s all-time field goals list with 12
• Attended the Super Bowl last February to see his brother, Robbie, kick for the Chicago Bears
Weigand Has Record-Setting Day
• Much was made about the effect of altitude on the players in last week’s game at Wyoming
• One player who benefited from the circumstance was senior punter Ryan Weigand
• He punted nine times for a 51.6-yard average and set a school record for best single-game average
• The previous record was 50.4 yards by Joel Dempsey against Wake Forest in 1986
• Weigand also set a school record for most punting yards in a game with 464, breaking Russ Henderson’s record of 449 in 1977
• Weigand boomed six punts of at least 50 yards to become the first Cavalier punter to have so many in one game
• After the game Weigand admitted he felt the altitude added 5-7 yards per kick, but his last two (57, 61 yards) were into the wind
• Weigand leads the country in punting after the first week of the season
Pearman Breaks a Long Return
• Andrew Pearman had a big game in the kick return department last week vs. Wyoming
• He returned three kickoffs for a 37.7-yard average
• His longest return of 67 yards in the third quarter is UVa’s longest since Michael Johnson had a 68-yarder vs. Duke in 2005
• He is currently ranked sixth in the country in kickoff returns
• After moving from wide receiver to tailback in training camp, Pearman also rushed twice for three yards in his first action in the backfield