Tag Archives: Virginia

Bullied Student Gets Help From Awesome Human!!

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What an AWE inspiring example of humankind!

A bullied college student from Virginia experienced multiple, anti-gay, hate-filled vandalism attacks on his car this past year, and after hearing the troubling tale via local news, one VA mechanic decided to completely fix — and PIMP out — the student’s car for free!!

Check out this heart-swelling story courtesy of the always lovely Ellen DeGeneres (above)!

It’s random kindnesses like this that truly make life beautiful!

Humans helping humans regardless of superficial identifiers like gender, race, sexual orientation, etc., but simply because it is the right, decent thing to do… oh it makes us tear up with hopeful joy for the future of our human race!

It’s Open Season on Penn State’s Roster

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It’s open season on Penn State’s roster. We’ve seen this before, in the early days of the sanctions assessed on U.S.C. three years ago and, if you can think back far enough, in the weeks following the penalties levied onto S.M.U. in 1987. There’s something different about this raid, however. One reason may be the fact that everything will be done in the open: Jim Delany, the Big Ten and the N.C.A.A. have essentially turned Penn State’s players into recruits, turning back the clock to those days when, as high school recruits, these same players were available to any school that would have their services.

Yesterday, Mark Richt confirmed that Georgia is “one of those teams” that will be in touch with Penn State’s players, citing scholarship room. “We’ll try to get in touch with some of these young men,” said Richt.

An unnamed SEC coach told Mark Schlabach of ESPN.com that one of his colleagues in the SEC had offered three Penn State players scholarships by 9:30 yesterday morning – not long after the N.C.A.A. had released its ruling.

There are several players who could help another B.C.S. conference program right from the start. One would be junior running back Silas Redd, who could fill a void at Oregon, for example – the Ducks badly need a short-yardage, between-the-tackles back.

Ends Sean Stanley and Pete Massaro would play for every team in college football. Likewise with linebackers Gerald Hodges and Glenn Carson. Senior defensive tackle Jordan Hill has all-American potential. Center Matt Stankiewitch is the Nittany Lions’ most experienced offensive lineman.

These are the names you’ll hear over the next two weeks – these are Penn State’s best players, and those most likely to garner interest from a team like Georgia, which might only be a player or two away from winning a national championship. Oregon’s offense, for example, would leap into another stratosphere with Redd doing the dirty work in the running game.

But with the scope of the penalties levied upon the program, P.S.U. should be more concerned with losing the younger players that comprise the majority of its roster – the redshirt freshmen, sophomore and juniors poised to play large roles over the next two, three or four seasons. The scholarship penalties will decimate the Nittany Lions’ depth; Bill O’Brien and his staff need the younger players on the two-deep to remain in the fold in order to cobble together some degree of success over the next three seasons.

If members of the roster’s upper tier – Hodges, Redd, Massaro and others – opt to transfer, it would be to a program that can offer a platform to showcase their skills to the next level and the opportunity to play for a team with realistic national title hopes. But the younger group: Would these players, should they choose to take advantage of the transfer rules, opt to go to a program with which they have a built-in comfort level?

If so, you’re looking at the schools that recruited these players when they were on the high school level. I looked back at the last three seasons of Penn State’s recruiting efforts – the 2010, 2011 and 2012 classes, using the Rivals.com database – to see if there were some schools that went toe-to-toe with the Nittany Lions more often than others.

From 2010-12, the following schools offered at least 11 eventual Penn State commitments: Pittsburgh (20), West Virginia (19), Boston College (19), Maryland (17), Virginia (16), Illinois (16), Connecticut (15), Rutgers (15), Michigan (13), Syracuse (13), N.C. State (12) and Iowa (11).

Another six schools offered nine players who would eventually sign with Penn State: Northwestern, Virginia Tech, Wisconsin, Stanford, North Carolina and Duke. South Carolina offered seven eventual Nittany Lions. Vanderbilt, Oregon and Cincinnati offered six.

Would the younger, non-name underclassmen – those who play a heavy part in Penn State’s future plans – who chose to leave the program look first towards those schools that were on their initial list as high school seniors?

Look beyond that specific question. What happens to Penn State if the younger scholarship players leave the program in droves? The Nittany Lions are in decent shape through the next two years, should the roster remain intact. Yes, O’Brien will be losing several all-conference starters, but this is a young team; in fact, there’s enough young talent to keep P.S.U. afloat through the next two seasons, in a perfect world.

But with the 15-scholarship limit in each recruiting cycle coming into effect for the 2013 class, it would be impossible for P.S.U. to replace not only those seniors lost to graduation but also the underclassmen who opt to leave the program via a transfer. Keep this in mind – because other programs are circling Penn State’s roster, looking for the missing piece of the puzzle.

It’s Open Season on Penn State’s Roster

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It’s open season on Penn State’s roster. We’ve seen this before, in the early days of the sanctions assessed on U.S.C. three years ago and, if you can think back far enough, in the weeks following the penalties levied onto S.M.U. in 1987. There’s something different about this raid, however. One reason may be the fact that everything will be done in the open: Jim Delany, the Big Ten and the N.C.A.A. have essentially turned Penn State’s players into recruits, turning back the clock to those days when, as high school recruits, these same players were available to any school that would have their services.

Yesterday, Mark Richt confirmed that Georgia is “one of those teams” that will be in touch with Penn State’s players, citing scholarship room. “We’ll try to get in touch with some of these young men,” said Richt.

An unnamed SEC coach told Mark Schlabach of ESPN.com that one of his colleagues in the SEC had offered three Penn State players scholarships by 9:30 yesterday morning – not long after the N.C.A.A. had released its ruling.

There are several players who could help another B.C.S. conference program right from the start. One would be junior running back Silas Redd, who could fill a void at Oregon, for example – the Ducks badly need a short-yardage, between-the-tackles back.

Ends Sean Stanley and Pete Massaro would play for every team in college football. Likewise with linebackers Gerald Hodges and Glenn Carson. Senior defensive tackle Jordan Hill has all-American potential. Center Matt Stankiewitch is the Nittany Lions’ most experienced offensive lineman.

These are the names you’ll hear over the next two weeks – these are Penn State’s best players, and those most likely to garner interest from a team like Georgia, which might only be a player or two away from winning a national championship. Oregon’s offense, for example, would leap into another stratosphere with Redd doing the dirty work in the running game.

But with the scope of the penalties levied upon the program, P.S.U. should be more concerned with losing the younger players that comprise the majority of its roster – the redshirt freshmen, sophomore and juniors poised to play large roles over the next two, three or four seasons. The scholarship penalties will decimate the Nittany Lions’ depth; Bill O’Brien and his staff need the younger players on the two-deep to remain in the fold in order to cobble together some degree of success over the next three seasons.

If members of the roster’s upper tier – Hodges, Redd, Massaro and others – opt to transfer, it would be to a program that can offer a platform to showcase their skills to the next level and the opportunity to play for a team with realistic national title hopes. But the younger group: Would these players, should they choose to take advantage of the transfer rules, opt to go to a program with which they have a built-in comfort level?

If so, you’re looking at the schools that recruited these players when they were on the high school level. I looked back at the last three seasons of Penn State’s recruiting efforts – the 2010, 2011 and 2012 classes, using the Rivals.com database – to see if there were some schools that went toe-to-toe with the Nittany Lions more often than others.

From 2010-12, the following schools offered at least 11 eventual Penn State commitments: Pittsburgh (20), West Virginia (19), Boston College (19), Maryland (17), Virginia (16), Illinois (16), Connecticut (15), Rutgers (15), Michigan (13), Syracuse (13), N.C. State (12) and Iowa (11).

Another six schools offered nine players who would eventually sign with Penn State: Northwestern, Virginia Tech, Wisconsin, Stanford, North Carolina and Duke. South Carolina offered seven eventual Nittany Lions. Vanderbilt, Oregon and Cincinnati offered six.

Would the younger, non-name underclassmen – those who play a heavy part in Penn State’s future plans – who chose to leave the program look first towards those schools that were on their initial list as high school seniors?

Look beyond that specific question. What happens to Penn State if the younger scholarship players leave the program in droves? The Nittany Lions are in decent shape through the next two years, should the roster remain intact. Yes, O’Brien will be losing several all-conference starters, but this is a young team; in fact, there’s enough young talent to keep P.S.U. afloat through the next two seasons, in a perfect world.

But with the 15-scholarship limit in each recruiting cycle coming into effect for the 2013 class, it would be impossible for P.S.U. to replace not only those seniors lost to graduation but also the underclassmen who opt to leave the program via a transfer. Keep this in mind – because other programs are circling Penn State’s roster, looking for the missing piece of the puzzle.

No. 48: Virginia

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Here’s one thing to love about Mike London: he’s not intimidated by expectations. When told that most expected Virginia to finish last in the Coastal division heading into 2010, London replied, “We’ve got ‘em right where we want ‘em.” Throughout last season, as the Cavaliers added narrow upon narrow win to reach bowl play, London never seemed surprised by his team’s success; it was merely part of the “process,” which is one of his favorite words. This process continues in 2012, with a slight change. Instead of sneaking up on the A.C.C., Virginia will be expected to battle Virginia Tech for not only in-state supremacy but also a spot in the conference title game. The Al Groh-era teams, based on history, would have failed to reach these lofty expectations. Even if it’s too early to anoint Virginia as the league’s next in line, we can say one thing with certainty about these Cavaliers: they won’t shy away from the challenge.

Conference
Atlantic Coast, Coastal

Location
Charlottesville, Va.

Nickname
Cavaliers

Returning starters
12 (7 offense, 5 defense)

Last year’s ranking
No. 78

2011 record
(8-5, 5-3)

Last year’s
re-ranking
No. 38

2012 schedule

Sept. 1
Richmond
Sept. 8
Penn St.
Sept. 15
at Georgia Tech
Sept. 22
at T.C.U.
Sept. 29
Louisiana Tech
Oct. 6
at Duke
Oct. 13
Maryland
Oct. 20
Wake Forest
Nov. 3
at N.C. St.
Nov. 10
Miami (Fla.)
Nov. 15
U.N.C.
Nov. 24
at Virginia Tech

Last year’s prediction

The arrow is pointed up, though not at a 90-degree angle. Virginia isn’t just going to skyrocket to the top of the A.C.C.: the ascent will be laborious, often painful, but fans can take some solace in the fact that a good slice of the dirty work has already been done. But keep the expectations in perspective. So what’s the overall state of Virginia football in 2011? A bright future awaits, though how far Virginia goes – and I’m unsure if the Cavaliers can ever catch up with Hokies – depends on London and his continued success in recruiting. As for this season, I feel safe projecting the Cavaliers to win five games, with anything above that a pleasant surprise.

2011 recap

In a nutshell Here’s why Virginia’s season wasn’t a fluke: the Cavaliers controlled the line of scrimmage. The offensive line opened up holes in the running game — more than 2,000 yards on the ground, fourth-most in the A.C.C. — and did a great job protecting the quarterback. While the defense was short a breakout pass rusher, the Cavaliers ranked in the top 30 nationally in tackles for loss. No fluke: Virginia controlled the line of scrimmage, which in turn allowed the Cavaliers to hang around in nearly every game during A.C.C. play but one, a 38-0 loss to Virginia Tech in the regular season finale. The program will take the next step when it adds some explosiveness to this strong play in the trenches.

High point A 14-13 win over Florida State in November. It was only Virginia’s third win overall against the Seminoles, against 14 losses, and its first victory in Tallahassee.

Low point Another loss to Virginia Tech, the Cavaliers’ eighth straight and 12th in 13 tries. The Hokies have been particularly unkind to London, beating Virginia by a combined score of 75-7 over the last two years. The Cavaliers lost two straight to end the year, with the Commonwealth Cup defeat joining a 43-24 loss to Auburn in the Chick-fil-A Bowl.

Tidbit On Nov. 20, one day after the win over the Seminoles, Virginia moved into The A.P. Top 25 – at No. 24, to be precise – for the first time since Dec. 2, 2007. If you count each summer’s preseason poll and the end-of-year poll, the Cavaliers had gone 62 weeks – or 62 games, in another view – between national rankings. The Nov. 20 poll was the 29th of London’s tenure with the program; no previous head coach had reached a national ranking quicker.

Tidbit (recruiting edition) In 2010, weeks after London was hired as Groh’s replacement, Virginia signed only one recruit ranked among the top 30 in Virginia by Rivals.com. Virginia Tech signed 10 of the top 30. In 2011, London and U.Va. signed 14 of the top 30; Tech signed seven. U.Va. inked eight of the top 30 this past February, including two of the top four, while Tech landed 15. It’s obvious that this program has reclaimed its appeal inside the state’s borders. What’s even better – even if the rivals don’t like to share – is how U.Va. and Tech have combined to keep most teams, outside of the elite, from raiding the state’s stockpile of talent.

Tidbit (first quarter edition) Virginia allowed only 24 first quarter points all season, tying it with U.S.C. for the lowest total in the country. The Cavaliers held nine opponents scoreless through 15 minutes: William & Mary, Indiana, U.N.C., Idaho, N.C. State, Miami (Fla.), Florida State, Duke and Georgia Tech. U.Va. would go 1-0 when it allowed only a field goal, against Maryland, but 0-3 when allowing a touchdown in the opening frame – losing to Southern Mississippi, Virginia Tech and Auburn.

Tidbit (narrow margin edition) The Cavaliers had seven games decided by single digits last fall, a program-high since playing nine such games in 2007. Virginia went 3-7 in games decided by nine points or less from 2008-10: 2-2 in 2008, 0-2 in 2009 and 1-3 in London’s first season. There were very obvious similarities between last year’s team and Virginia’s 2007 squad, from the nail-biting margin of victory – and defeat, at times – to the fact that both teams relied heavily on a strong defense and were only successful offensively when running the ball with consistency.

Tidbit (status quo edition) U.Va. has made no coaching changes since London was hired heading into the 2010 season. Barring any late moves, the program is one of two in the A.C.C. to have the same staff in 2010, 2011 and 2012, joining Florida State – Georgia Tech made no changes between 2010 and 2011, but Paul Johnson hired a new special teams coach in February. London will shuffle some his assistants’ responsibilities, however. Offensive coordinator Bill Lazor will take on wide receiver duties in addition to his work with Virginia’s quarterbacks. Shawn Moore will go from working with the tight ends to tutoring the Cavaliers’ receivers. Virginia will call on its two graduate assistants to help out: Mike Saint German will work with the tight ends and Marques Hagans, a former U.Va. quarterback, with chip in with the wide receivers.

Former players in the N.F.L.

24 LS Danny Aiken (New England), OT Branden Albert (Kansas City), CB Ronde Barber (Tampa Bay), OT Will Barker (Miami), LB Ahmad Brooks (San Francisco), DT Chris Canty (New York Giants), DT Nate Collins (Chicago), DT Matt Conrath (St. Louis), CB Chris Cook (Minnesota), CB Ras-I Dowling (New England), OT D’Brickashaw Ferguson (New York Jets), FB Rashawn Jackson (Oakland), DE Chris Long (St. Louis), S Rodney McLeod (St. Louis), TE Heath Miller (Pittsburgh), OT Eugene Monroe (Jacksonville), WR Kevin Ogletree (Dallas), OG Austin Pasztor (Minnesota), RB Cedric Peerman (Cincinnati), TE John Phillips (Dallas), QB Matt Schaub (Houston), LB Clint Sintim (New York Giants), RB Jason Snelling (Atlanta).

Arbitrary top five list

Players taken in the third round of the draft, 2000-4
1. LB Lance Briggs (Chicago, 2003).
2. TE Jason Witten (Dallas, 2003).
3. WR Steve Smith (Carolina, 2001).
4. QB Matt Schaub (Atlanta, 2004).
5. C Nick Hardwick (San Diego, 2004).

Coaching

Mike London (Richmond ’83), 12-13 two seasons. After making some steady progress off the field in his debut campaign with the program, London led Virginia to some on-field success last fall. London brought to his first F.B.S. head coach position a familiarity with the program, extensive ties to the fertile recruiting grounds of the state, a history – albeit a small sample – of winning on the college level and a strong personality that has most definitely played well at a school like Virginia, one determined to retain its academic principles yet hungering for athletic success on the gridiron. London returned to Virginia after two extremely successful season at Richmond, his alma mater. He compiled a two-year mark of 24-5 with the Spiders, winning the F.C.S. national championship in 2008 and advancing to the F.C.S. quarterfinals in 2009. Yes, he inherited an enviable position at Richmond, a program already rebuilt by current Bowling Green head coach Dave Clawson, but credit London for taking a talented roster and leading it to even greater heights. London previously spent six seasons as an assistant under Al Groh at Virginia (2001-4, 2006-7), with a one-year respite in 2005 as the defensive line coach for the Houston Texans. London served in that same capacity at Virginia from 2001-4, adding the title of recruiting coordinator from 2002-4. London returned to Charlottesville in 2006 as the team’s defensive coordinator, a position he held for two seasons before being hired by Richmond. He’s been a big hit thus far: London has breathed life into a downtrodden, beaten-down program, increasing Virginia’s success not only on the field but also on the recruiting trail. Does London have what it takes to lead Virginia up to and past the rival Hokies? That’s the program’s next quest, one that goes hand-in-hand with taking home an A.C.C. title – because you can’t take home the latter without claiming the Commonwealth Cup.

Players to watch

There’s a widely held and misguided belief that former Alabama transfer Phillip Sims, a sophomore who was recently granted immediate eligibility by the N.C.A.A., is going to step onto the practice field in August and immediately claim the starting role. Not so fast. There are two significant impediments in Sims’ path: the first is overall experience, as Sims has made only 28 career attempts – 22 came against Kent State and North Texas – and the second is experience in Virginia’s system. Few quarterbacks, even those who signed with Alabama out of high school, can step on campus and gain an adequate understanding of an offense over the span of three or four weeks – even if Sims has been chewing on Virginia’s playbook for several months.

Some call Michael Rocco average, just-good-enough, a manager, a caretaker; I call him the program’s best passer in at least a half-decade. His progression over the second half of last season was obvious: Rocco went from error-prone and tentative in September to poised and confident in November, playing pitch-perfect football in the win over F.S.U. and displaying enough potential to be the team’s unquestioned future under center in each of the next two years – until Sims showed up, that is.

It’s a battle of perception, in a way. Rocco is a known commodity: Virginia knows that he’s still growing, that he’s not overly gifted physically, that he needs to be balanced out with a strong running game, that he lacks the mobility to give the offense another dimension. His competition, on the other hand, is all promise: Sims didn’t achieve much at Alabama, but he has the sort of physical ability that stands out when compared to Rocco’s somewhat limited skill set. So what is Virginia to do?

Here’s the plan: U.Va. should plan on Rocco being the starter; say he’s the leader the day prior to the start of fall camp; call Sims the backup – for now. See how Sims responds in August. If he shows the flash that made him the early favorite to replace Greg McElroy heading into last summer, then – and only then – should London and Lazor move him up the depth chart. Don’t hand Sims anything. Make him earn it.

As at Penn State, as touched on earlier this week, Virginia was fortunate to suffer no major injuries along the offensive line in 2011: the same five started all 13 games. After injuries hampered the Cavaliers in 2010, that this line remained injury-free helped it go from a potential liability into an unquestioned strength. As was the case last fall, U.Va. will land outstanding tackle play from senior left tackle Oday Aboushi and junior right tackle Morgan Moses – the A.C.C.’s best bookend pairing. This is now expected: Virginia continues to churn out top-notch offensive tackles.

The issue is interior play. Junior Luke Bowanko, no longer an unknown after breaking into the lineup last fall, returns at right guard. But U.Va. will struggle matching what Austin Pasztor and Anthony Mihota brought to the table at left guard and center, respectively. Pasztor, a first-team all-A.C.C. pick last fall, will be replaced by junior Sean Cascarano, who spent last season behind Moses at right tackle. Cascarano has been pegged as the starter since March; he remains atop the depth chart despite missing spring ball due to injury. Senior Matt Mibalik steps in for Mihota, with redshirt freshman Ross Burbank another option. Tackle play will be outstanding; interior play, on the other hand, is a concern.

And Virginia’s guards and center are vital cogs in the running game – and the Cavaliers’ production on the ground dictates the ebb and flow of the entire offense. If U.Va. gets similar line play to a year ago, it has the backs to chew up clock and wear down opposing defenses. New year, same cast: senior Perry Jones (915 yards) and sophomores Kevin Parks (709 yards, 9 touchdowns) and Clifton Richardson (366 yards, 5.1 yards per carry). First comes Perry, the veteran and one of the A.C.C.’s very best; he led the Cavaliers in rushing last fall after finishing second in 2010. Then comes Parks, a back with a bright, bright future. Then comes Richardson, the bruiser, and he compliments the top pair wonderfully. Remember when the Cavaliers’ backfield didn’t have a pulse? I do. Now the program has the A.C.C.’s best backfield.

As noted earlier, Virginia won games last fall by controlling the line of scrimmage. On the offensive side of the ball, that the Cavaliers are rebuilding at left guard and center raises some red flags about the sturdiness of the power running game. It’s a similar tale on defense: Virginia lost three starters off of a very underrated front four, albeit one that collapsed a bit over the year’s last three games. When U.Va. is at its best, it is moving linemen on offense and filling gaps – and pushing into the backfield – on defense. Control the point of attack; win games.

We’re really going to see London’s efforts on the recruiting trail pay dividends in 2012. A good portion of the line’s two-deep, especially inside, were recruited to play in the 4-3 system; while a few 3-4 holdover are pegged in starting roles, these linemen are now entering their third seasons in London’s defense. That’s a good thing.

While U.Va. returns only one starter, junior end Jake Snyder (36 tackles), senior Will Hill (36 tackles, 7.0 for loss) played more than enough as the Cavaliers’ third tackle to move seamlessly into a starting role. He’s the new star in the middle, replacing Matt Conrath, and based on his production when on the field last fall, Hill is ready to take on the challenge. When U.Va. wants to go big inside, it can team Hill with Justin Renfrow, a 300-pound junior. But I do think that in most situations, sophomore Chris Brathwaite’s quickness will come in handy. Braithwate was pegged for a role in the rotation prior to an early-season injury last fall, but returned in time to play about 20 snaps in the bowl loss to Auburn.

Snyder is your bigger anchor at end: he’s basically a tackle lining up outside, with the positives and negatives that label entails – he’s going to do well against the run but is a non-factor on passing downs. So the pressure will be on senior Billy Schautz (28 tackles, 6.5 for loss) to bring heat off the edge; essentially, Schautz, a converted linebacker, needs to take his effort against Florida State, when he was a menace before being injured, and extrapolate it over 12 weeks – or 13, rather. Schautz will start, backed up by a few players coming off of redshirt seasons in Vincent Croce, Rob Burns and Diamonte Bailey, and potentially one or two of the Cavaliers’ incoming freshmen.

Another player to watch at end is senior Ausar Walcott (32 tackles), who moves down after making seven starts at strong side linebacker last fall. With Walcott moving down and Aaron Taliaferro gone, U.Va. will turn the strong side over to sophomore Daquan Romero, who got his feet wet in a reserve role last fall. It’s the status quo elsewhere, with senior Steve Greer (team-best 103 tackles, 2.0 sacks) back in the middle and senior LaRoy Reynolds (88 tackles, 8.0 for loss) on the weak side. There’s nothing wrong with this pairing: Greer’s an all-A.C.C. lock and Reynolds can be disruptive in space. U.Va. also added a premier linebacker recruit in Kwontie Moore, a Norfolk product, but with Greer and sophomore Henry Coley entrenched at linebacker, Moore may be looking at a redshirt season.

Is Demetrious Nicholson (60 tackles, 2 interceptions) ready? Is he ready to assume the mantle? Is he next, following in the footsteps of Ras-I Dowling and Chase Minniefield, the program’s most recent stoppers at cornerback? U.Va. hopes so – prays, actually, that Nicholson can play beyond his youth and give this defense the all-A.C.C. cornerback it needs on the outside. My only issue with Nicholson isn’t with his talent, because he most certainly has all-conference ability; I’m just worried that as a true sophomore, he’s not quite ready for taking on every team’s top receiver.

One thing you know: Nicholson is going to get better every week. He’ll be joined at cornerback by either Drequan Hoskey or Brandon Phelps, two sophomores battling for a spot in the starting lineup. U.Va. is also breaking in a pair of new safeties, likely junior Rijo Walker at free and sophomore Anthony Harris at strong. This is one of the youngest defensive backfields in the country: Walker is the only junior, with the rest sophomores and redshirt freshmen. A lot is riding on Nicholson’s ability to play at a first-team all-A.C.C. level.

Special teams coordinators Anthony Poindexter – who was one of the great safeties in A.C.C. history prior to his injury – and Vincent Brown must locate a new kicker and punter. As for the former, Robert Randolph ended his career as one of the most accurate kickers in school history. He’ll be replaced by either redshirt freshman Ian Frye or junior Drew Jarrett – and I’m hoping for Frye, who is 6’6, if only because he’d be the tallest kicker in the country. Sophomore Khalek Shepherd did a nice job on kick returns last fall, but U.Va. needs more explosiveness out of its return game.

Position battle(s) to watch

Wide receiver There’s talent, experience and underclassmen to be found at receiver, but there’s no clear-cut top target. Along with interior line play, finding a new go-to guy will be Virginia’s top priority during fall camp. In a perfect world, U.Va. would fill Kris Burd’s role – he was last year’s leader in receptions and receiving yards by a substantial margin – with either junior Tim Smith (33 receptions for 565) or sophomore Darius Jennings (20 for 238), the two most experienced returning receivers and, unsurprisingly, the two clear starters heading into September. Smith is a deep threat who took advantage of Burd’s consistency to find holes in coverage. But can he do more than that – can he get open on third down, take on the opposition’s best cornerback, produce every Saturday in a Burd-like role?

It’s a big question. If he does, U.Va. could augment its power running game with an opportunistic passing attack. Even if Smith comes through, the Cavaliers do need to find two or three younger and unproven receivers to round out the top rotation. There aren’t a lot of options, though London did sign at least four receivers in February, depending on where a few players start their college careers. One is worth nothing: Canaan Severin was the highest-rated skill player in the class.

Until the freshmen prove themselves, the second tier at receiver is led by sophomores Dominique Terrell, Miles Gooch – a bigger-bodied target who could be a red zone and intermediate threat – and E.J. Scott. While Jones is outstanding coming out of the backfield or in the slot (48 for 506), one thing that was missing from last year’s team was a pass-catching tight end, due to an early ankle injury that hampered senior Colter Phillips’ entire season. While not quite like the program’s vintage tight ends, Phillips is a nice secondary option on third down.

Game(s) to watch

Check out Virginia’s four-game stretch following the season opener against Richmond: Penn State, at Georgia Tech, at T.C.U., Louisiana Tech. A split of that four, which is possible, would leave U.Va. at 3-2 heading into games against Maryland, Duke and Wake Forest – so getting a split would be hugely beneficial to this team’s bottom line. After struggling at Scott Field last fall, U.Va. must reclaim its home-field advantage. Why? For one, the Cavaliers get seven games at home. Among that group are key A.C.C. games against Wake, Miami and North Carolina. In addition, the Cavaliers slate of road games is daunting: the Yellow Jackets, Horned Frogs, Duke – stay with me – N.C. State and Virginia Tech. Forget about beating the Hokies; can the Cavaliers stay within 21 points?

Season breakdown & prediction

In a nutshell The natural progression: rock bottom, five wins, eight wins… what? In a bubble, without considering the outside factors – personnel, coaching, the schedule, how you got to eight wins the year before – the obvious progression is to double-digit wins. That’s not going to happen with Virginia in 2012. While the arrow is pointed skywards, U.Va. still needs to address a few concerns before developing into a legitimate A.C.C. title contender. Consider the most pressing issue heading into fall camp: the changes on both lines. U.Va. is very much not at the point where it can win with finesse; the Cavaliers only hope, in fact, is to win games by controlling the line of scrimmage – not that London would have it any other way. I am very curious as to whether U.Va. can do so while retooling on both lines. In addition, the Cavaliers do need to settle on a quarterback, find a go-to receiver and land steady play from a very young secondary, even if the latter seems absolutely loaded with potential.

Expect at least six wins – I’m predicting seven, actually – and continued growth in every area but in the win column. In addition, keep an eye on how London’s recruits, the sophomores, redshirt freshmen and freshmen, fare in their first taste of action. How the youth fares in larger roles is one of the A.C.C.’s most intriguing storylines. But this youth will be served at times, especially early, and again by the more seasoned and veteran teams on the conference schedule: Virginia Tech, for example. Virginia is still going places, even if this coming season finds them treading water in the standings.

Dream season U.Va. starts 3-0, netting a huge A.C.C. win over Georgia Tech, before losing to T.C.U. to drop to 3-1. That’s followed by a streak of five wins in six games, which is in turn followed by a tough loss to U.N.C. – giving the Tar Heels the Coastal division. But you know what happens in Blacksburg? Virginia 17, Virginia Tech 13. The Cavaliers go 9-3, 6-2 in the A.C.C., and the climb continues.

Nightmare season A win over Richmond precedes four straight losses. While U.Va. rights the ship against Maryland and Duke, the Cavaliers win only game the rest of the way – finishing 4-8 for the second time under London.

In case you were wondering

Where do Virginia fans congregate? Begin with The Sabre, the rare independent message board that stands as the best option for a B.C.S. conference program. For recruiting coverage, check out Cavs Corner and Hoo Nation. You should also head over to University Blog, The Sabre’s The Good Ol’ Blog and Streaking the Lawn.

Virginia’s all-name nominee FB LoVante Battle.

Word Count

Through 77 teams 301,774.

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Who is No. 47? Prior to entering into public service, the politician central to the creation of tomorrow’s university served in the 101st Airborne Division.

Virginia safety Joseph Williams is on a hunger strike

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Rarely do we see student-athletes, football players, get involved in political matters that affect the universities where they play.

Virginia safety Joseph Williams is changing that.

For the past eight days, Williams, a junior walk-on who has played in two games during his career, has been on a hunger strike “to protest the economic and social injustices perpetrated by the UVa administration against the vast majority of the University’s service-sector employees.”

Full story on Dr. Saturday

Oklahoma No. 1 in AP Top 25

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NEW YORK (AP) — Being voted preseason No. 1 is a tradition at Oklahoma, and this season is no different.

The Sooners will start out top-ranked in The Associated Press college football poll for the 10th time, more than any program in the country.

The defending Big 12 champions received 36 of 60 first-place votes and 1,464 points in the Top 25 released Saturday.

Auburn, last season’s national champion, will start the season No. 23, one spot behind where it began in 2010.

If the rankings are any indication, the national title race could be a scramble.

No. 2 Alabama, one of a record eight Southeastern Conference teams in the preseason poll, wasn’t far behind OU, receiving 17 first-place votes and 1,439 points.

No. 3 Oregon got four first-place votes, No. 4 LSU received one and No. 5 Boise State got two.

Florida State was No. 6, the Seminoles’ best preseason ranking since starting the 2004 season at No. 5.

Heisman Trophy favorite Andrew Luck and Stanford were No. 7.

Rounding out the top 10 are Oklahoma’s Big 12 rivals, Texas A&M (No. 8) and Oklahoma State (No. 9), and Nebraska (No. 10), in its first season in the Big Ten after leaving the Big 12.

No. 16 Notre Dame is ranked for the first time since early November 2009.

As for Oklahoma, no matter where it lands in the preseason, it always expects to make a run at a national championship in the end. It hasn’t won it all, however, since 2000.

That’s when coach Bob Stoops led the Sooners to their seventh AP national title in his second season in Norman. Since then, Oklahoma has lost three BCS championship games.

The Sooners have won the AP national title four times when they were preseason No. 1 (1956, 1974, 1975 and 1985). The last time they started a season top-ranked was 2003. That season, they lost the BCS championship game to LSU.

“We’re very matter of fact,” Stoops said this week. “All we think about is doing the work.

“We’re also very aware we’re not much different than about 12, 15 other teams that’ll be competing for it that have legitimate chances to win it. What are we going to do differently to separate ourselves?”

Having the combination of quarterback Landry Jones and receiver Ryan Broyles is a good place to start.

Jones passed for 4,718 yards and 38 touchdowns last season, his second as a starter, and Broyles was his favorite target. The senior had 131 catches for 1,622 yards and 14 touchdowns.

Jones was forced into a starting role two years ago as a redshirt freshman when Heisman Trophy winner Sam Bradford went down with a shoulder injury. That was a tough season for the Sooners, who started ranked third but finished it 8-5.

Bradford was one of several key players Oklahoma lost to an injury that season, and Jones wasn’t the only underclassman who played a bigger role than expected.

“Now two years from that they have benefited from the maturity and the experience gained from being on the field at an early age,” Stoops said. “Our (offensive) line was young and now two years later they’ve got experience and some maturity to them. Same with Landry Jones. Same with Ryan Broyles.”

Earlier this month, Sooners fans must have had flashbacks to Bradford’s injury when linebacker and leading tackler Travis Lewis hurt his left foot in practice. He likely will miss at least the first four games, including a road trip to Florida State on Sept. 17.

“It’s a big blow to us, there is no denying it,” Stoops said.

Oklahoma has also been coping with the death of linebacker Austin Box, a would-be starter who overdosed on prescription painkillers in May.

“He’s very close to so many guys and … it wouldn’t be right to brush it to the side,” defensive coordinator Brent Venables said. “We’re trying to move forward and deal with it as best we can.”

The SEC has won five straight BCS title games and has plenty of candidates to make it six.

“We want to come out and win a national championship, to be undefeated,” Alabama safety Mark Barron said. “Every time we step out on the field, one of our motivating factors is to be special.”

South Carolina (No. 12), Arkansas (No. 15), Georgia (No. 19), Mississippi State (No. 20) and Florida (No. 22) give the SEC more teams in the preseason poll than any previous conference.

The Big Ten placed four teams in the rankings with Wisconsin (No. 11), Michigan State (No. 17) and Ohio St. (No. 18) joining Nebraska.

With No. 21 Missouri, the Big 12 had four teams, too.

The Pac-12 had three teams, with No. 25 Southern California joining Oregon and Stanford.

The Atlantic Coast Conference placed two teams (Florida State and No. 13 Virginia Tech), as did the Mountain West Conference (Boise State and No. 14 TCU)

The Big East, which finished last season with no ranked teams, had one team in the preseason poll, No. 24 West Virginia.

Notable by its absence is Texas. Coming off a 5-7 season, the Longhorns are missing from the preseason Top 25 for the first time since 1998.

For now, ranked or not, every team is chasing Oklahoma.

“Who doesn’t want to be No. 1?” Sooners cornerback Jamell Flemming said.

© 2011 The Associated Press

SEC presidents to meet, discuss expansion

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Southeastern Conference presidents will meet Sunday to discuss Texas A&M’s admission to the league, The New York Times is reporting.

A person with knowledge of the situation confirms to The Associated Press that the meeting will be held in Atlanta. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the meeting had not been publicly discussed.

The Times said all but one of the presidents will be at the SEC meeting, held the day before the Texas A&M System board of regents will meet. A special meeting is scheduled Monday that includes an agenda item about conference alignment.

The session comes amid reports that Texas A&M is leaving the Big 12 for the SEC.

The SEC is interested in A&M because the move “brings us into the Texas market,” another person familiar with the situation told the AP on Saturday. But the person added that “it’s not about us wanting or needing 14 teams, Texas A&M came to us.”

The person said the conference could not ignore the Aggies.

“If A&M is dead set on getting away from Texas, whether it be because of the Longhorn Network or if they have had enough for whatever reason, you have to listen,” the person said. “If you don’t, someone else will.”

“It’s a business decision.”

If it does happen and A&M is put the SEC’s West Division, the person said the conference will have to add a 14th team in the East. However, the person said though the “Texas A&M thing will be decided in the week or so, the 14th team has not been discussed.”

According to media reports, several schools are being considered for that 14th slot, including Florida State and Clemson.

Presidents at both those Atlantic Coast Conference schools said Saturday they have had no contact with the SEC.

“From coach to (athletic director) to president and the board chair (trustees), there has been no discussion,” Florida State University President Eric Barron told the AP in a phone interview during a Tallahassee Chamber of Commerce meeting in Destin, Fla. “I feel quite certain if any of those individuals had any discussions, including me, we would have shared it with each other.”

Clemson University President James Barker Saturday also denied reports that the Tigers are considering a move.

“We are committed to the ACC,” Barker said in a statement. “We have had no contact with the SEC.”

The Tigers have been charter members of the ACC since it was formed in 1953. Florida State joined the ACC on July 1, 1991 after months of courtship by the SEC.

The person said it’s a “zero chance” that Florida State would be the 14th team and that it is highly unlikely it would be any ACC team.

“Our presidents simply don’t want to break up another conference,” the person said. “Remember, Texas A&M reached out to us. You know how many households there are in Texas? 8.9 million. Why would we want to hand that to the Pac 12 or any another conference?”

West Virginia and Missouri have also been mentioned, but the person said Louisville would make more sense.

“The question is what’s the dynamic with Kentucky? Will Kentucky have a problem with it?” the person said. “I doubt Kentucky would have the beef that Georgia does with Georgia Tech or South Carolina does with Clemson.”

Even golfer David Toms, who attended Louisiana State, weighed in on SEC expansion. He said adding A&M would be a great addition to the conference.

“I hope it happens,” Toms said Saturday after his third round at the PGA Championship. “They were one of our rivals when I was in college, and it was a lot of fun.”

Toms’ choice for a 14th team: Virginia Tech.

© 2011 The Associated Press

Improved FSU could give ACC’s reputation a boost

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PINEHURST, N.C. (AP) — The Atlantic Coast Conference’s reputation has taken plenty of hits in recent years.

Jimbo Fisher figures it’s time to change that, and he hopes his Florida State team is the one to lead the way.

From the moment the Seminoles stepped into the ACC 20 years ago, they were the league’s clear gold standard.

After yielding that title to Virginia Tech for a while, they seem ready to reclaim it.

“I think it’s important to every conference to have somebody in that (national championship) game or in that limelight, that atmosphere, you know?” Fisher said. “But you have to earn it. You have to get there. We haven’t here recently. Everything goes in strides. Go back in the (1990s), the SEC won a few but they weren’t in it. Florida State was in it. Miami. It all goes in cycles and comes around.”

And now, it seems the Seminoles have cycled back to being on top.

The media that cover the ACC have made Florida State the favorite to win its first league title since 2005 — the year the conference expanded to 12 teams. Since then, the Seminoles had three 7-6 finishes during Bobby Bowden’s final four seasons (2006-09) while slipping to third or lower in its division three times in that span.

In Fisher’s first season as the head coach they finished 10-4 — with two losses coming by a total six points — and won the Atlantic Division and the Chick-fil-A Bowl. And with the nucleus of that team returning, they have observers thinking that maybe those old, swaggering Seminoles are back.

Even if these Seminoles won’t come out and say it.

“People are going to say how they feel, give their own opinion, but that’s going to be something where we have to go out there and play,” quarterback E.J. Manuel said. “I’m not going to say we’re back or anything like that, because that would be taking respect away from those teams that were what Florida State is now. That’s what we’re working toward. Hopefully we can get to that point and just continue to win games.”

That certainly can’t hurt the perception of the ACC, which took plenty of hits when bellwether programs Florida State and Miami were sagging. When they struggle, the ACC seems weak, too.

Now the across-the-league hope is that when upsets inevitably happen, that’s because the underdogs are improved — and not because the favorites are overrated.

“Sometimes, you had teams that weren’t as good as other teams,” Manuel said. “But now, in this day and age, athletes are good everywhere. It doesn’t matter whether you go to our school, Duke, wherever. It’s still going to have a good program, and you can’t go into a game thinking you’re going to blow out somebody. You have to go in there and make plays, and actually do it yourself, not just in your mind.”

ATLANTIC

FLORIDA STATE — Key players: QB E.J. Manuel, WR Bert Reed, T Andrew Datko; DE Brandon Jenkins. Returning starters: 7 offense, 8 defense.

Notes: The Seminoles are looking for much bigger things than just their 35th straight winning season. Key test comes in Week 3 against Oklahoma. … Florida State’s total of 17 returning starters doesn’t include Manuel, whose six career starts came when NFL first-round pick Christian Ponder was injured.

CLEMSON — Key players: RB Andre Ellington, C Dalton Freeman; DT Brandon Thompson. Returning starters: 8 offense, 5 defense.

Notes: All eyes will be on sophomore QB Tajh Boyd, who replaces Kyle Parker after Parker gave up football for a pro baseball career. … Tigers lost six defensive starters who combined to make 171 starts, including All-America DE Da’Quan Bowers. … Ellington and RB Jamie Harper give Clemson a solid 1-2 punch in the backfield.

NORTH CAROLINA STATE — Key players: QB Mike Glennon, TE George Bryan; LB Audie Cole, DT J.R. Sweezy. Returning starters: 6 offense, 8 defense.

Notes: Glennon, a promising pocket passer, takes over after three-year starter Russell Wilson was released and transferred to Wisconsin. … Wolfpack have a special teams weapon in T.J. Graham, who has returned three kicks for TDs and is 522 yards shy of the ACC’s career kickoff return yardage record.

BOSTON COLLEGE — Key players: RB Montel Harris, TE Chris Pantale; LB Luke Kuechly. Returning starters: 7 offense, 7 defense.

Notes: Kuechly led the nation with 14 tackles per game last season. … Harris was tops in the ACC in rushing and is 1,002 yards shy of the ACC career rushing record. … Eagles chasing their 13th straight bowl berth.

MARYLAND — Key players: QB Danny O’Brien, WR Tony Logan; LB Kenny Tate. Returning starters: 5 offense, 7 defense.

Notes: New coach Randy Edsall enters with serious questions at the skill positions. He must replace WR Torrey Smith and RB Da’Rel Scott. … Logan returned 31 punts for 560 yards last season. … Former Division I head coaches Gary Crowton (BYU) and Greg Gattuso (Duquesne) are on Edsall’s staff.

WAKE FOREST — Key players: QB Tanner Price, RB Josh Harris; DE Kyle Wilber. Returning starters: 7 offense, 9 defense.

Notes: Demon Deacons return four senior starters on offensive line. … Wake Forest plays nine bowl teams from 2010, including Syracuse and Notre Dame. … Price started nine games as a freshman, a rarity at a school that prefers to redshirt all incoming players.

COASTAL

VIRGINIA TECH — Key players: WRs Jarrett Boykin and Danny Coale, RB David Wilson; CB Jayron Hosley, S Eddie Whitley. Returning starters: 6 offense, 6 defense.

Notes: Hokies are ACC’s only recognized champion from 2007-10 after Georgia Tech vacated its 2009 league title. … Virginia Tech faces a more manageable nonconference schedule (Appalachian State, East Carolina, Arkansas State, Marshall) than in recent years. … Hokies must replace QB Tyrod Taylor and RBs Darren Evans and Ryan Williams. All eyes will be on QB Logan Thomas.

MIAMI — Key players: WR Travis Benjamin; LB Sean Spence, S Ray-Ray Armstrong. Returning starters: 6 offense, 7 defense.

Notes: New coach Al Golden must settle on a quarterback — Jacory Harris or Stephen Morris — after Hurricanes threw 27 interceptions last season. … Nine opponents played in bowl games last season, including Ohio State, Kansas State and South Florida. … Spence, on whether the Hurricanes have underachieved: “We have a whole bunch of talent, as you can see. … To be 7-6, it just doesn’t add up. We know that.”

NORTH CAROLINA — Key players: RB Ryan Houston, QB Bryn Renner; DT Quinton Coples, CB Charles Brown. Returning starters: 6 offense, 6 defense.

Notes: League’s biggest question mark is how Tar Heels will respond to late July firing of coach Butch Davis. … Defensive coordinator Everett Withers steps in as the interim replacement. … Houston, who elected to redshirt last season after he initially was held out and later cleared in the NCAA investigation into the program, had surgery to repair a broken shoulder blade suffered in the spring game.

GEORGIA TECH — Key players: RB Roddy Jones; DT Logan Walls, LB Steven Sylvester. Returning starters: 6 offense, 5 defense.

Notes: QBs Tevin Washington and Synjyn Days are competing to replace three-year starter Joshua Nesbitt. … Yellow Jackets were made to vacate their 2009 ACC championship and Orange Bowl appearance following an NCAA investigation. … Jones has averaged 7.46 yards per carry for his career.

VIRGINIA — Key players: WR Kris Burd, OG Austin Pasztor; DT Matt Conrath, CB Chase Minnifield. Returning starters: 8 offense, 9 defense.

Notes: Cavaliers lead the ACC with 19 returning starters. … Minnifield’s 10 career interceptions lead all active players. … Coach Mike London must settle on a replacement for QB Marc Verica.

DUKE — Key players: QB Sean Renfree, WRs Connor Vernon and Donovan Varner; S Matt Daniels. Returning starters: 7 offense, 8 defense.

Notes: Blue Devils welcome back the league’s top returning passer (Renfree), top two receivers (Vernon, Varner) and top kicker (Will Snyderwine). … Duke hopes its 4-2-5 scheme will show improvement after it was the league’s worst defense in 2010.

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press.