Cavs take on rival Hokies

MEDIA GENERAL NEWS SERVICE
Published: November 26, 2008

Rivalry week is back. The subplots are plentiful. Careers, for players and coaches, could come to an end. Numerous postseason implications are in play.

As has been the case in the past, more than bragging rights are at stake in the latest installment of the Commonwealth Clash as Virginia heads to Virginia Tech on Saturday for the regular season finale. The contest starts at noon and will be televised on ESPN.

“It’s fun. It’s a big game atmosphere,” Virginia coach Al Groh said on Tuesday. “If you like participating in big games, they are the most fun of all.

“It’s a lot more fun than playing Alaska State.”

For Virginia (5-6, 3-4), a victory — and some help from N.C. State — could elevate the program into a logjam for second place in the final Coastal Division standings. It would also make the Cavaliers bowl eligible, extending practice time and the careers of the team’s seniors another month pending an invitation from a postseason game.

In theory, the Hokies (7-4, 4-3 ACC) have more to play for. They are looking to punch their ticket for the ACC championship, guaranteeing the program a chance to defend their league crown and play for a berth in the Orange Bowl and the major payday associated with a BCS berth. Georgia Tech will play Florida State or Maryland in the ACC title game if Virginia Tech, an eight-point favorite, is upset.

While the idea of playing the role of spoiler against their in-state rival delighted Virginia’s players, it is not the sole motivation.

“Winning the game is the most important thing,” said linebacker Clint Sintim. “By us winning the game, obviously that would be knocking them out, but I want to win the game.

“Knocking them out, that would be cool but more importantly I want to win the game for us.”

Virginia tight end John Phillips added: “I don’t think our team is into spoiling their championship route or whatnot. It is more about what we have to do to keep playing football, which is ultimately what we want to do.”

Groh said whatever form of motivation used from his players was acceptable in a series that has seen the Hokies win six of the last seven and every meeting since 2003.

“There’s a lot of elements to the game,” the coach said. “Any time you add more elements to it in any rivalry game it brings a little bit more into it than a team you don’t play on an ongoing basis.”

Despite Tech’s dominance in the in-state clash, the Cavaliers insisted that the game has not lost its luster in their eyes.

“A rivalry will always be a rivalry,” Sintim said. “I think we’re rivals with UNC and we’ve played UNC since I’ve been here I think four times and we’ve won three out of the four. It’s still a rivalry nonetheless.

“They are going to come to play and we’re going to come to play.”

As was the case last year for every senior not named Ian-Yates Cunningham (he played in 2003 before taking a medical redshirt), a loss on Saturday would guarantee yet another crop of Cavaliers would finish without a win in football over the Hokies.

“I think there would be some sort of void there,” said Virginia running back Cedric Peerman, who did beat the Hokies at the 2007 ACC track championships. “That’s your rival, you always want to beat your rivals and we haven’t beaten them since I have been here so it is definitely something I think about, something I definitely think the team thinks about.”

Delivering a message

Minutes after leaving his weekly press conference at John Paul Jones Arena, Groh popped back into the room.

After the initial shock from members of the media, it was quickly apparent why the coach travelled back from the McCue Center to meet with media members.

Groh was carrying a shirt that was created to promote a cause that Groh has supported for years.

This week students from Virginia and Virginia Tech will run a game ball across the state in the sixth annual FIJI Run Across Virginia.

“It’s a 150-mile run done collaborately by the brothers of the Phi Gamma Delta fraternity from both schools, and over the course of the last six years they have raised $180,000 for the V Foundation, which we have a particular sensitivity to, having known Jim [Valvano] before he passed away,” Groh said. “We admire their work and their dedication to it.”

When told that the shirt’s odd color resembled a penalty flag, Groh rolled his eyes.

“Please, we have seen enough of those,” Groh said. “If you had said fumble or a pass interception I would be really upset.

“Clearly, it has a much higher value than that. [The FIJIs] do a great job with it and we are appreciative of their effort.”

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Extra points …

While Virginia Tech is likely to use three players under center — Greg Boone, Sean Glennon and Tyrod Taylor — this weekend against Virginia, Marc Verica is expected to be the only player to take a snap for the Cavaliers. The Cavs did employ tailback Mikell Simpson earlier in the season in the “Wildcat formation,” but Groh said that package was eliminated when Simpson broke his collarbone in a loss against Miami. … UVa’s offensive line has struggled at times of late with three new starters in place. Four of the five members of the unit will return, however, and Groh has penciled in a replacement for the one vacancy. Redshirt freshman Landon Bradley is likely to get the first look in the spring at replacing left tackle Eugene Monroe. … Virginia safety Byron Glaspy said the “buzz” of late in the locker room was that former cornerback Chris Cook would be moved to safety upon his return next season to the program. Cook, who has one year of eligibility remaining, is currently serving a school-imposed, two-semester penalty for academic woes. Pending clearance, Cook could return for the spring semester. … Groh said placekicker Yannick Reyering, who handled kickoffs against Clemson, has fully recovered from the knee injury that plagued the former soccer star earlier in the season. … Speaking of kickers, rookie Robert Randolph said after the Wake Forest game that he was hopeful to earn a scholarship at season’s end. “That’s the goal,” he said. “I was told that I would have a chance at that at some point if I performed well and earned the job.” … It is unclear if reserve quarterback Riko Smalls will regain traveling status for Saturday’s game. Walk-on Warner Blunt went in Smalls’ place for the Wake Forest game. “[Smalls] didn’t earn the trip,” Groh said following the loss to the Deacons. … Peerman has never registered a carry against the Hokies. He has been in attendance for the past five meetings in the series. In 2003, the Virginia native took a recruiting trip, and the following year, he and Sintim were included in the traveling party.