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The Cavs will need another strong performance from Cedric Peerman to level the Tar Heels. |
While attitudes at Tuesday’s press conference remained hopeful, everyone in the room was aware of the challenge awaiting the Cavaliers on Saturday against the Tar Heels, even if they weren’t aware that North Carolina hadn’t defeated Virginia in Charlottesville (1981) since any of the current Cavaliers have been alive.
When asked if he knew about the streak, LB Clint Sintim replied, “The streak? No? What streak are we talking about?” When told by a reporter, the senior said with a laugh, “I didn’t know that. Hopefully that won’t change.”
According to Sintim, the streak won’t have anything to do with who wins.
“The people who are going to win the game are the people who are going to execute and play the best football come Saturday,” Sintim agreed. “The ’81 streak or whatever, however long it’s been, is not going to have a bearing on who wins this game on Saturday.”
Al Groh echoed Sintim’s sentiment saying, “I didn’t know it was since 1981, I guess that shows my level of interest in the circumstance.”
Regardless of what has happened in the past, No. 18 North Carolina is sure to present quite a challenge for Virginia this weekend as the Cavaliers try to string together a third consecutive win. Despite its 22-20 win a year ago, Virginia knows they are facing a very talented Tar Heel team lead by head coach Butch Davis.
“I had an opportunity to watch the Notre Dame game and they’ve got a lot of play makers on their team,” Sintim said. “A lot of playmakers in the skill positions. It’s definitely going to be a challenge for our team.”
One of the playmakers Sintim was referring to was junior quarterback Cameron Sexton , who was a back-up option until Tyler Yates went down early in the season. Sexton has responded quickly, tallying three TDs in as many games while averaging 186.7 passing yards a game. Groh praised Sexton’s performance Tuesday.
“He’s done an awesome job,” Groh said. “If you study the tapes and see the throws that Cameron Sexton ‘s making, you couldn’t ask any more and perhaps sometimes you couldn’t ask as much out of the so-called starting quarterback.”
The Tar Heels’ offensive attack took another injury-related hit last week as they lost WR Brandon Tate to an ACL injury against Notre Dame. While this clearly takes one of their biggest playmakers out of the mix, Groh said they still have plenty of other weapons on offense.
“In terms of receiving game, [Hakeem] Nicks has got twice as many catches as anybody else on their team. There’s probably a reason for that. As it would be on any team,” he said. “Coaches have figured out that the most dynamic receiver needs to get the ball the most.”
In fact, Groh agreed with one reporter’s assessment that Tate’s loss probably hurt them more on special teams as Tate is the ACC active-leader for career all-purpose yards with 4,744.
“Clearly nobody on the Carolina team or any other team has done what he’s done so his special teams work has been dynamic,” Groh said.
According to offensive tackle Eugene Monroe , the difficulties that North Carolina presents aren’t just offensive.
“I think we have a challenge,” he said. “They have a solid defense, solid D-line play; it’s evident watching the game and then seeing it again in the film room, the energy that they play with. It will be a challenge for us to match it.”
Ironically, increased energy has been one of the most noticeable changes from the Cavaliers over the past two games.
“That might be one of the biggest reasons why we’ve raised our level of performance,” Monroe said. “The leadership on the team is demanding that people elevate their game and energy level.”
Peerman To Return To Kick-off Role?
Regarding a possible return to the kick-off return role that Cedric Peerman has performed in the past, Groh said it wasn’t an issue of worry about how it would affect his offensive production but rather a cautionary move because of his injury early in the season.
“Given that the nature of the injury that kept him out of the better part of the early season and the kind of piles that occur on kickoff turns. That’s how so many of these knee injuries occur … those kind of piles are highly prevalent on kick returns,” Groh said. “And then he’s still out there with that brace on and it seemed like the prudent thing to do. When it does get to the point that he’s available, it probably gives us a little more juice, he’s got a proven record back there.”
The kickoff return squad remains a work in progress, Groh said, with every spot out there having room to improve.
“Of the eleven out there, there have been no gold stars given out yet,” he said.
Screen Passes In Focus
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According to Groh, Marc Verica ‘s screen passing technique has improved. |
Reporters pointed out Tuesday that despite their proven receiving abilities, neither running back has as a high number of yards in the passing game, particularly when compared to this time last season.
“When our backs have had a pretty high yards per catch, a lot of that has come on yardage after screens,” Groh said. “Two weeks ago we got some real good plays out of the screen game but overall it has not been as productive as it has been in other years. We’ve looked at that particular fact as a matter of fact.
Groh said that it really varies with whichever quarterback happens to be leading the offense and the performance of the team really mirrors that trend.
“Matt [Schaub] was really slick with it. … Marc [Verica] has struggled with the screen. Jameel [Sewell] was really getting the hang of it towards the latter part of last year,” he said. “Marc, I thought, last week in the drill work that we did on screens, definitely started to show some more sophistication in screens.”
Monroe Primed For Future Success
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Eugene Monroe has been pegged as a possible first round NFL Draft pick. |
While this season is only halfway over, it can’t be ignored that Virginia left tackle Eugene Monroe has been projected as a high first round draft pick by ESPN’s Mel Kiper.
The quiet Monroe said it’s impossible to ignore but that simply isn’t his focus right now.
“It’s unavoidable to hear it each week from teammates or family. They might see it on the Internet,” he said. “But I’m a Virginia player right now and I just got to get ready for the games each week here. Once the season is over, that’ll take care of itself.”
Groh acknowledged that while Monroe probably could have left the team last year and it was briefly discussed, Monroe wasn’t very interested in it for a variety of reasons.
“Briefly [we talked about it], because it was not something that Gene was particularly interested in from the outset,” Groh said. “One because it was particularly important to him that he get his degree which he’ll do in three and a half years. Another notable achievement. It was important to him that he finish with his class and his teammates. … He is a player who has clearly profited by playing his full four years.”
Groh couldn’t say enough about Monroe’s humility, evidenced to reporters by his lack of willingness to talk at length about his talent and draft prospects at this time.
“A great example of a kid who, despite kudos that are passed his way by others [and the] successes that he’s had as a student and a player, has absolutely no degree of entitlement,” Groh said. “He’s got a lot of humility and understands that what he’s able to achieve is a result of his commitment and performance.”
Groh wasn’t the only one complimenting Monroe Tuesday. Sintim chimed in saying that as someone who plays against Monroe every day, it was easy to see why he has been so highly touted.
“I definitely see why he’s number one,” Sintim said. “He’s extremely talented. He’s massive. He has great feet. Going against him every day in practice really elevates my game. He’s definitely a very talented guy and I’m sure he knows it but he’s a humble guy.”
Depth Chart Notes
This week’s depth chart reflects overall stability on the roster with only two minor changes.
- In both his PK and KO role, Yannick Reyering now has an alternate listed behind him with Robert Randolph for PK and Chris Hinkebein on kickoffs.
Deke’s Day in the Spotlight
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Scott Deke tossed the first TD pass of his career Saturday against East Carolina. |
Having watched teammate Scott Deke work hard day after day and fight for playing time, perhaps no one was happier for the fifth-year senior Saturday after his first touchdown pass than Cedric Peerman .
“He’s always talked about it to me, always expressed what he’d do,” Peerman said. “When he finally did it, I was just so ecstatic for him, so proud of him for making the type of throw that he did. I just ran out onto the field and we met sort of halfway on the field and I think he sort of forgot that he had to hold the extra point.”
Character players like Deke can be so important to a team, Peerman said.
“There are a lot of guys like that on the team,” he said. “It really is the foundation of the team. Those guys like Scott who really come into the locker room having just that joking manner at times. He knows when to turn it on and turn it off. It’s just really refreshing to come into a locker room and hear guys like that.”
Fun With Numbers
- The Cavaliers have won 5 of the last
6 meetings and 8 of the last 10. - The Tar Heels have not won in Charlottesville
since 1981 (17-14), losing 13 straight
times. - Virginia has rushed for 200 yards in consecutive games for the first time since 2004 and scored 30 points in back-to-back contests for the first time since 2005.
- The Cavaliers are only 4-11 against North Carolina when the Tar Heels are ranked (Associated Press).
- Since 1982, Virginia is 13-2-1 when committing fewer turnovers than North Carolina. This season, however, the Tar Heels lead the nation in turnover margin at +1.83.
- Since beating Maryland, the Cavaliers have risen from 118th in the nation in total offense to98th. They are now averaging 310 yards per game.
Worth Quoting
“Not that any of us need reminding but it certainly underscores to all of us the challenging nature of this profession. As someone pointed out to me, the two coaches who were in the Super Bowl last year just got finished losing by somewhere combined around 40 points. So clearly those things happen to the very best of them. I like Tommy. He certainly has won an awful lot of games down there. I can empathize with him and his family.” – Coach Al Groh on the recent resignation of Clemson head coach Tommy Bowden.
Worth Quoting Too
“The best thing about blocking for Ced is just hearing the impacts that happen when he hits guys right in front of you. … It’s a car crash every time. You almost want to ask him if he’s alright but I know it’s not him who’s hurting.”- Eugene Monroe on blocking for Cedric Peerman .
