Hoo Fans: New to the Sabre this year — roster cards! Just click the “UVa/Duke Roster Card” link at the bottom of this article and download our PDF-format roster card that includes rosters, starting lineups, and statistics. Fold the card down the middle, and you’ve got the Hoos on one side, and the opponent on the other. Enjoy!
Preview, by Jeremy Williams
It’s that time of the year again for football fans. No more baseball. No more talk of expansion. It’s finally time
to play some football.
Amid talks of BCS bowls and 10-win seasons, the Virginia Cavaliers start their 2003 campaign far removed from late
August only a short season ago. Picked to finish 8th in the league last season, the Cavalier fans might have been
content with a middle of the pack finish. But after a second half surge that caught national attention and a dominant
performance in the Continental Tire Bowl against West Virginia, Virginia has been the favorite pick of several pundits
to win the ACC this season. However, when Al Groh’s 2003 version of the Cavaliers hit the field on Saturday night in
an early ACC battle against Duke, hype and predictions mean absolutely nothing.
“When you are on the field you are insulated from outside opinions or influence,” Virginia coach Al Groh
said. “You get away from all that other stuff. When you put the pads on, all of that hype means nothing. It doesn’t
matter who you go up against, you have to play hard.”
The “who” in this case is a Duke Blue Devils squad that has lost 25 straight ACC contests and 33 of 35
games overall. The Cavaliers, however, would be smart to listen to their coach’s words of wisdom, as Duke returns
almost everyone on both offense and defense and figures to upset a few teams this season with a strong rush defense and
an experienced offensive backfield.
“They’re us last year,” Groh said. “We played a lot of games last season that weren’t as
challenging [as when we played Duke]. They have determined veterans that want to go out on a high note.”
Groh certainly isn’t kidding about that. When Duke takes the field on Saturday they figure to start seven seniors
on offense, three on defense, and one on special team. With fifty-one letterman returning, 20 of them starters, the one
area where the Blue Devils certainly aren’t lacking would have to be experience. Now, is that to say that a bunch of
seniors are going to come into Scott Stadium and beat the Cavaliers? Probably not. For if the Cavaliers hope to contend
for the ACC title they simply have to win games against the Dukes of the world.
In this particular game, it is imperative that Virginia controls the battle of the trenches. If there is one area
where Duke was dominant last season, it was with their rush defense. Ranked number one in the ACC, Duke held opponents
to a meager 120.5 yards per game on the ground last season. Against the Cavaliers, Duke only yielded two net
yards the entire game. If the Cavaliers hope to have a successful and “stress-free” first game, they must do
much better than that on the ground, something that starting running back Wali Lundy understands.
“They had a great defense last season, but I think they’ll be facing a different running game than what they
saw last year,” he said. “You started to see what we could do at the end of last season, but this will be a
good test at the beginning of the year to see just how far along we’ve come. It’s going to be a battle down
there.”
Defensive tackle Matt Zielinski headlines a strong group of defensive linemen that helped stifle opponents’ running
games last season. The lone senior in the starting front four picked up 18.5 tackles for loss last season, and will have
to pickup the slack for the ACC’s 2002 sack leader, Shawn Price, who decided to forgo his final year of eligibility at
Duke. While the loss of Price certainly hurts a very good run defense, it is the opinion of most analysts that starting
juniors Micah Harris, Orrin Thompson, and Phillip Alexander will be able to help Zielinski form a formidable front four
once again that opposing offensive lines will have trouble dealing with.
“I remember they had some big, tough guys down there last year,” junior Elton Brown said. “We are
going to have to be up to the challenge to open up some holes for our backs. I think this year is going to be a little
bit different for us against these guys.”
To help try and keep the Cavaliers’ running game to a minimum, it is likely that Duke head coach Carl Franks will
once again stack the box with some of his talented linebackers. Middle linebacker Ryan Fowler has led the Blue Devil
defense in tackles for loss the past three seasons. The senior will play alongside several younger players, as only one
other player, Guiseppe Aguanno, has more than two years experience on Duke’s two-deep. Like last season, it is likely
Franks will stack the box against the Cavaliers and test their Virginia’s wide receivers against Duke’s experienced
secondary.
This is where the Cavaliers will likely try and exploit Duke. While Duke’s secondary is composed of experienced
players, they often get left on an island as Franks attempts to stop the run, meaning Virginia will be left to run wild
in their secondary and try to win the game in the air. Returning cornerbacks Kenneth Stanford and Brian Greene will try
and improve upon the secondary woes. Both players played well in spurts last season, but will have to stay more
consistent. If not, Matt Schaub could start his run for the Heisman trophy in a big way. It is for this reason that a
running game could prove to completely take apart the Duke team. If the Cavaliers can put together a consistent running
game, Duke’s strength goes out the window, leaving the Cavaliers to beat up on their defense both on the ground and
through the air.
As for strengths and bright spots on this Duke squad, their run defense might just about be the end of it. While the
Blue Devils feature a pretty good two-headed running attack with seniors Chris Douglas and Alex Wade, there isn’t much
other firepower on the offensive side of the ball. Duke was eighth in the ACC in total offense, averaging only 4.9 yards
per play, by far the lowest in the conference. While Duke returns all 11 starters on offense, they would have to improve
their passing game tremendously if they hope to put a dent in the defenses of the ACC’s heavy hitters.
The Cavaliers will have a good chance to show off their bulked up front three and speedy set of linebackers against
2nd team All-ACC back Alex Wade and 640 yard rusher Chris Douglas. Both players showed sparks of being exciting and
consistent ACC backs, as they both averaged an impressive 4.9 yards per carry over the course of last season. Together,
the running attack from Wade and Douglas accounted for over 1600 yards last season, an impressive feat in any
conference. Both backs should be excited to know that their entire offensive line is back this season, especially since
four of them check in at 300+ pounds. Only senior Luke Bayer is under the 300-pound mark, but he comes close, weighing
in at 290 pounds.
The experienced ground game will serve as a good barometer for a suped-up Virginia run defense. The Cavaliers’ run
defense was ranked 8th in the league last season, and that will have to improve if they hope to handle Duke on Saturday.
Junior defensive tackle Chris Canty is excited about the opportunity to test the improved Virginia defense against Duke’s
running game.
“They’ve got some good backs and some good offensive linemen,” Canty said. “But this is something we’ve
been working to improve. If we want our defense to get better we are going to have to stop people’s running games, and
Saturday will be a good test for us. We know they like to run the ball, so we are going to have to be strong on the line
and stop them.”
If the Virginia defense stops the Blue Devils’ running game, they will be set on defense, as Duke’s passing game
struggled for most of last season. Junior Adam Smith returns as signal caller, and he will need to become more
consistent throwing the ball if Duke hopes to pull off a stunner early in the 2003 season. The Blue Devils were ranked
8th in the conference in passing efficiency, and while Smith did pass for over 2,000 yards last season, he threw only 12
touchdown passes and nine interceptions.
Unfortunately for Smith, he doesn’t have very many options on the outside to help him out. Junior wide receiver
Khary Sharpe appears to be Smith’s best option for a consistent receiving threat. The 5’11″, 170-pound Sharpe
caught 30 balls for 458 yards, both of which led the team. In addition to his 15.3 yards per catch, Sharpe hauled in 6
touchdowns, which gave him the team lead by two. If Sharpe can continue his success and work on breaking away from
Virginia’s corners, it could make the game much closer than Virginia wants.
On the other side of Sharpe, senior wide receiver Reggie Love will team up with junior Senterrio Landrum to help
Sharpe open up the passing game. Love was considered to be one of Duke’s best receivers last season, but injuries hurt
his season as he only caught 22 passes for 238 yards and one touchdown. If Duke hopes to upset the Cavaliers they will
need a big game from one of their wide receivers, because the Blue Devils passing game was non-existent last season, and
that led to a lot of their losses.
“We know they are going to come out and try to pass the ball much better this year,” said senior cornerback
Almondo “Muffin” Curry. “We need to come out and set a tone and shut them down. I know our defense is
improved and we want to come out and show everyone that we’re gonna be tough on defense this year.”
The Lowdown
If the Cavaliers can run the ball on the offense, and stop the Blue Devils ground game on the other side of the ball,
Virginia should win handily. The team that Carl Franks will see on Saturday night is completely different from the team
that they beat in statistics last season at Durham. Both Wade and Douglas present unique problems, but a strengthened
defensive line, and speed and power at the linebackers should be able to handle that problem. If the experienced
Virginia secondary can shut down the passing attack, like so many teams did last season, the Cavaliers should not have
much trouble on defense.
On offense, the Virginia coaching staff will get a chance to see early on just how improved their running game will
be. Over the course of the summer, Groh has said that a strong running attack will be critical if the Cavaliers hope to
accomplish their lofty goals. The Cavaliers might not see a better run defense all year, aside from possibly Florida
State or Virginia Tech, so if the Cavaliers can put together a decent running attack, the ground game can look forward
to a positive season. As for the game, if Lundy and company have success running the ball at all, Matt Schaub will be
able to pick the Duke secondary apart. Duke’s secondary, though experienced, wasn’t one of their strengths anyway, but
if the Cavs can run the ball, it will open up gaping holes in the secondary that will allow the Virginia receiving corps
to open it up and go down field more.
On the whole, Virginia’s first game on Saturday will be a tougher test than a lot of people believe. Should a team
like Virginia, which is trying to “win championships,” beat a team like Duke nine times out of ten?
Absolutely. Should they blow out a Blue Devil team that has lost 25 straight ACC games? Most of the time. As to what
will happen Saturday night, nothing is ever certain, and that is why they play the games. One thing is for sure,
however. It’s finally time for some football.
BoardHost (Mike Ingalls) Weighs In
According to Duke, they’re returning 13 starters on offense and 12 starters on defense (not counting kickers for
which they have returning starters at all of those positions as well). Wow. Now if only there were more than 11 starters
on the field at any given position at a time that would make their math correct. Did they have no senior players
starting last season? Perhaps they mean that some of these players started at some point, just not all year. Well, I
guess that makes some sense, but I’m guessing that would be because not many of them were good enough to start an
entire year. Or, perhaps Duke is just trying to pad things a bit. I guess you need something to point to when your team
finished 0-8 in the league, 2-10 overall and have a 5-40 record under fifth-year head coach Carl Franks.
Honestly though, Duke won’t be that bad this year, only in comparison to their competition in the conference. And
who knows, maybe they won’t finish dead last again this season. I mean, they did play close games N.C. State (lost by
2), North Carolina (lost by 2), Clemson (lost by 3) and Virginia (lost by 5). They also had a close game against
Northwestern, losing by just five.
Every coach will prepare their team against Duke by stating that they played some of their tough games close and they
return every starter. All of that is fine and dandy, and that might mean a little something if those players were any
good. But, considering that 19 of these returning ‘starters’ were veteran players (ten of them juniors last season)
it’s not exactly like Duke was a young team trying to find itself. How can 19 returning starters be that much better
this time around if they weren’t any good last year? Maybe they picked up a book from Barnes & Nobles called, ‘Football
for Dummies’? Are there Cliff Notes for college football players now? I’m just trying to figure out how these guys
are supposed to be good if they were so bad. Of course you’re going to play some games close. That’s what happens
when you lose most all of them. It tends to really tick you off and you play harder.
Flash back to Virginia last season. They were a team picked to finish just ahead of Duke in the ACC. They weren’t
supposed to win seven games. They were playing mostly freshmen and sophomores and had a quarterback controversy on the
heels of a previous year of even more quarterback controversy. Still, after losing the first two games of the season,
the Hoos finished 9-5 (2nd in the ACC) on their way to knocking off four Top 25 teams and destroying West
Virginia in the Continental Tire Bowl. Virginia got better with those young players as the season progressed, and they
return 19 starters this year. Now that means a little something when you talk about returning starters.
People can point to all of the ‘this and that’ about Duke, and how the game was close last season, or how Duke
pulled off a ridiculous overtime upset over the Cavaliers in 1999, yada, yada, yada. Sorry folks, this writer isn’t
buying it. Nope. Duke is still Duke. There can only be so much of an improvement over a veteran team that couldn’t
pull off one win in their conference a year ago. Sure, they played some of those teams pretty tough. And they might even
surprise some teams this season. Realistically, they aren’t getting more than five wins and, if they can manage that,
most of those will come over the likes of Rice, Western Carolina and Northwestern. They should take Wake Forest in the
annual ACC Toilet Bowl, but outside of that it’s going to have to be a pretty large upset for the Blue Devils to get
any more wins. People say Georgia Tech is in the toilet. OK Duke, there’s your fifth win. Have at it.
In fairness to Duke, they did improve toward the end of last season and they gave close calls to three of this season’s
ACC favorites. They do have a great linebacker in Ryan Fowler, who accounted for 145 tackles last season (15 of them for
a loss). They have a good running back tandem in Alex Wade and Chris Douglas (1,619 combined yards rushing). And
quarterback Alex Smith finished the season with a 56 percent completion rate and over 2,000 yards passing. Still, you
can’t teach a bunch of old dogs but so many new tricks, and not one team will step onto the field unprepared to play
the Blue Devils this season, certainly not Virginia.
So Duke returns everyone, and Virginia returns most everyone. The difference between returning most of your starters
is returning talented starters. Virginia simply has better players, and that’s why they finished with nine wins and
Duke with just two. That’s why UVa is listed as preseason Top 25 and one of the favorites to win the conference, and
Duke is rounding out the bottom of the ACC yet again. There’s a lot of improvement that has to be made in order for a
team like Duke to compete on the level of a team like Virginia. One year and a bunch of returning starters won’t cut
it. Virginia will crush Duke on the field this Saturday night.
Duke did give Virginia a good showing last season when they came out and stopped Virginia’s non-existent running
game. Virginia gained just two yards on 20 carries that game. Of course, that was before Virginia decided to establish a
running game. But UVa eventually found their running game by the end of the season. The Hoos racked up 150 or more
rushing yards in their last four games, all of them against ranked opponents (N.C. State, Virginia Tech, Maryland and
West Virginia) Doubtful Duke’s experience will help them as much this time around. And, even with the road block in
the running game against Duke last season, Schaub still burned them for 315 yards through the air.
OK, enough of the hype. Games are won on the field, not on paper. Ah, who cares? UVa will still crush Duke this
Saturday night and I’m not afraid to say it. The Cavaliers are for real and they are prepared to play football. These
aren’t the Cavaliers of 1999 and 2000. Remember the days of the UVa teams that wouldn’t finish games? Remember those
UVa teams that would take a team for granted and then let the worst happen?
Well, those days are gone now. These are Al Groh’s Cavaliers and they actually give a damn about winning football
games. They’ve worked their butts off in the off-season (coaches and players) and now they’re ready to put a hurting
on their next opponent, Duke. If Virginia can keep from turning the ball over and can take some from Duke (UVa was among
the best in the nation at turnover ratio last season), this game could get ugly for the Blue Devils very quickly.
I’m predicting the most embarrassing loss in the series since Virginia spanked them 35-0 in 1993. Look for Wali
Lundy to give a big ‘so what’ to Duke’s run-stopping defense, and for quarterback Matt Schaub to show why he’s
indeed a legitimate Heisman Trophy Candidate. Look for big numbers from everyone and a few breakout performances. This
will finally be the Duke-Virginia game that it should be, a Virginia blowout.
BoardHost’s prediction? UVa 45, Duke 13.
I would predict a greater margin, but the Hoos will have to shake off some rust in the first quarter.
