Aug. 9, 2004

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2004 Virginia Football Preview

The Cavaliers won their final three games of the season to finish 8-5 overall and tied for fourth in the ACC with a 4-4 league mark. Virginia made its second-straight postseason appearance, and 14th overall, defeating Pittsburgh 23-16 in the Continental Tire Bowl.

For the second year in a row, Virginia had six players earn first or second-team All-Conference honors, and all but one of those players return in 2004. The lone departing All-ACC performer was QB Matt Schaub, the 2002 ACC Player of the Year. Schaub owns more than 20 school records, throwing for 7,502 yards and 56 touchdowns in his career.

Tight end Heath Miller was the lone Cavalier selected first-team All-ACC a year ago and was a freshman All-American in 2002. Miller led the nation's tight ends in receiving in 2003 with 70 receptions for 835 yards and six touchdowns -- both the catches and yards are ACC records by a tight end. He has caught at least one pass in 21 straight games and has at least three catches 18 times.

Virginia is one of only two ACC teams to return their starting tight end and all five starters along the offensive line. Headlining the returning starters is senior guard Elton Brown, a three-year starter, and junior tackle D'Brickashaw Ferguson. Brown was last year's recipient of the Jacobs Blocking Trophy as the ACC's best blocker.

A second-team All-American and a Lou Groza semifinalist, PK Connor Hughes was nearly perfect in 2003, making 23 of 25 field goal attempts, including three of four from 50 yards or more.

Junior Wali Lundy and senior Alvin Pearman give the Cavaliers one of the more productive tailback tandems in the nation. Lundy was fourth in the ACC in rushing a year ago with 929 yards and 10 TDs and was fifth on the team with 29 catches for 253 yards and four scores. Meanwhile, Pearman was eighth in the ACC with 643 yards rushing and led all ACC running backs with 63 catches for 518 yards.

Senior DL Chris Canty, a two-time All-ACC second-teamer, led all ACC defensive linemen in tackles a year ago, averaging 8.0 tackles per game. LB Darryl Blackstock averaged 6.5 tackles per game as a sophomore in 2003. Ahmad Brooks was a consensus Freshman All-American in 2003 while Kai Parham earned second-team Freshman All-America recognition. Brooks led the Cavaliers and all ACC freshmen with 117 tackles (9.0 pg) while Parham totaled 89 tackles, including seven tackles for losses, despite starting only eight games in 2003.

ACC Football Preview Schedule | More Virginia Info From ACC Media Guide

QUOTES FROM 2004 ACC FOOTBALL KICKOFF

Al Groh, Head Coach, entering 4th season
"We have become, based on how we've been able to finish the last two years -- victories in two consecutive bowl games -- I think we're a good team .. and that's where we're supposed to be. We're supposed to be good. Now the rest of the process is to become a great team, and that's what we're aiming to do."

"I think it's impossible to forecast great things for a team that doesn't have a quarterback. Those people who say those things about any team, not just about Virginia, don't understand the weighted importance that that position has to the overall results. That position can magnify the results of the other 21 positions or it can diminish what you think is going to happen with the other 21 positions."

"Marques Hagans goes into training camp as our starting quarterback. Marques has played well for us and made important plays for us in games over the course of the last two years, but most of those plays were as a wide receiver or a punt returner. That gives you a pretty good idea of what his athletic ability is."

Chris Canty, Defensive End, Senior
"We've got the best linebackers in the country ... You've got Kai Parham, he's the sledgehammer. If you're going to run the iso, you're not going to want to run it to his side. You've got Ahmad Brooks, he chases down anything. He's the cheetah of the group. Dennis Haley, he's the cover-backer, he can split out on wide receivers and cover those guys up. And then you've got Daryl Blackstock, who's a pass-rush extraordinaire. So we have a different variety of guys with different styles, and that's a dangerous combination."

"I enjoy talking. It's a part of the football game, it's a part of competing. It creates a certain mentality for the players. You, as a person talking, it makes you more aggresive. The guy, it kind of intimidates him when you're talking to him. Even though he doesn't want to admit it, you can see it in his body language, he's slumped over, he's tired, he's breathing heavy, you know you've got him. You just keep talking and he thinks, 'He doesn't get tired, he just keeps going. I like to do that to my opponents, I like to wear them out. So by the fourth quarter I'm strong, mind and body, and he's not.'"

Elton Brown, Offensive Guard, Senior
"We have all starting five returning linemen, arguably the best tight end in the country, one of the best backfields in the country, and four great quarterbacks like I said, and the receivers to go along with it. We still need to put it together this year, finish games and win."

"You always walk in thinking you're going to win. Ever since last season ended, our season began. Offseason workouts, summer conditioning ... We've got guys reporting in May for summer workouts. Just take that collective mentality, we feel like we're ready to go."

2004 Virginia Football Schedule
Sept. 4	at Temple
Sept. 11	North Carolina
Sept. 18	Akron
Sept. 25	Syracuse
Oct. 7	Clemson
Oct. 16	at Florida State
Oct. 23	at Duke
Nov. 6	Maryland
Nov. 13	Miami
Nov. 20	at Georgia Tech
Nov. 27	at Virginia Tech

OFFENSE - Returning Starters
TB Wali Lundy, Jr.
TE Heath Miller, Jr.
T Brad Butler, Jr.
T D'Brickashaw Ferguson, Jr.
G Ian-Yates Cunningham, So.
G Elton Brown, Sr.
C Zac Yarbrough, Sr.

OFFENSE - Starters Lost
QB Matt Schaub (7,502 yards, 56 career TDs)
WR Ryan Swayer (39 catches, 481 yards)
WR Ottowa Anderson (33 catches, 407 yards)
FB Kase Luzar (2-year starter)

DEFENSE - Returning Starters
DE Chris Canty, Sr.
NT Andrew Hoffman, Sr.
DE Brennan Schmidt, Jr.
LB Darryl Blackstock, Jr.
LB Ahmad Brooks, So.
LB Kai Parham, So.
CB Tony Franklin, So.
S Jermaine Hardy, Sr.

DEFENSE - Starters Lost
LB Raymond Mann (69 tcks, 4 sacks)
CB Almondo Curry (led ACC with 6 INTs)
S Jamaine Winborne (2 INTs, 8 PBUs)