Groh gets defensive over son’s status

By Jeff White
Media General News Service
Published: November 22, 2008

Virginia Tech isn’t the only school whose fans are unhappy with the football team’s offensive coordinator.

This is Mike Groh’s third season overseeing the offense in Charlottesville, and many UVa fans would like it to be his last in that role.

The numbers are sobering:

In 2006, the Cavaliers ranked 110th nationally in scoring offense and 113th in total offense.

In 2007, they were 81st in scoring offense and 101st in total offense.

The Wahoos gained only 190 yards in their 13-3 loss to Clemson on Saturday. Coming into the game, Virginia ranked 111th in scoring offense and 98th in total offense.

At the postgame news conference, U.Va. coach Al Groh was asked if his son would return as offensive coordinator in 2009. The question didn’t go over well with the elder Groh.

“I love these divisive questions,” he said. “I love these divisive questions.”

Asked if that meant Mike Groh would be back, Al Groh said, “That means I blew the question off.”

Verica best option at QB

Sophomore quarterback Marc Verica has thrown six interceptions in his past two games. But unless the Cavaliers want to play true freshman Riko Smalls, who’s redshirting, the only other scholarship QB in the program is graduate student Scott Deke, and Al Groh said he still considers Verica the best option.

“It’s not as if we have a lot of options there,” Groh said. “In the present time frame, it is what it is. Unless Matt Schaub’s available, I think we’ll go with things the way they are.”

Verica has started nine consecutive games. For the season, he’s completed 218 of 340 passes for 1,960 yards and eight touchdowns, but he’s been intercepted 15 times.

“It’s just something that obviously has to be eliminated,” Verica said, “and I’m sure as my career progresses that they’ll be minimized. I don’t think you’ll ever not throw an interception. They’re going to happen, but obviously they’ve been coming out a high rate. But I can’t get down. I’ve just got to keep pressing on and preparing hard, and maybe things will work out.”

Cavs have to beat host Hokies

To become bowl-eligible, the Cavaliers must win at Virginia Tech on Saturday. UVa hasn’t won in Blacksburg since 1998, when its coach was George Welsh. In three games under Groh at Lane Stadium, the Wahoos have been outscored 62-19.

“That’s always a big challenge going there anyway,” Groh said, “but this team has had a strong will and a strong spirit about it, and it’s our challenge to be consistent with ourselves in that respect.”

UVa has dealt with adversity since the end of last season, Groh said, and “the players have always responded, and the coaches have always responded, and I’m very confident that that’s consistent with our character, and we’ll respond again.”

Extra points

For the first time since the Aug. 30 opener against Southern California, Virginia did not record a sack. Senior linebacker Clint Sintim entered Saturday’s game as the ACC leader in sacks .... The temperature at kickoff was 35 degrees. That’s the coldest at the start of a UVa game at Scott Stadium since at least 1966 ... Former UVa star Bill Dudley of Lynchburg raised the “Power of Orange” flag before Saturday’s game.