Let’s get to the embarrassing stuff. The WR who left for “personal reasons” in this case was code for criminal charges.
Former Virginia football player Theirrien “Bud” Davis faces a felony charge in Albemarle County. Davis, a reserve wide receiver in 2004 and ’05, was arrested March 28 and charged with stealing property — textbooks — worth at least $200 “with intent to sell or distribute,” Capt. Michael Coleman of the U.VA. police department said yesterday.
The incident allegedly occurred March 2 at the U.Va. book store. Coleman declined to disclose additional details.
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Asked yesterday about Davis’ departure, Virginia coach Al Groh said, “This has been an issue that Bud’s been dealing with for awhile. We’ve been in conversation with him over a period of time, and I think we’ll just leave it as a personal issue . . . If it was a playing-time matter, he probably wouldn’t have withdrawn from school.”
You have to be amused about the recent line of Parcell coaching prodigies. They have all adopted this minimal information disclosure and engage in carefully crafted euphemisms that are just accepted when the team is winning and doing well (see Belichick in New England vs. his time in Cleveland). When the team is not meeting expectations or the columnists and writers run out of tolerance for it, it gets old and becomes a source of mocking.
OK, things are a little unsettled in C’ville. Five months ago, in fact, upon punting Ahmad Brooks, Vince Redd and Tony Franklin from the squad (Franklin has since been granted a pardon and plugged into the secondary), Groh allowed that U.Va. was in “a rebuilding circumstance” — rebuilding circumstance being Groh-ese for, umm, rebuilding.
With Davis gone, after being expected to be on the 2-deep and perhaps start — of course with a criminal charge pending since March that the football coaches apparently knew about, you have to wonder why they waited until now — the receiving corp now has a junior walk-on who has never caught a pass on the 2-deep. Starting will be Sophomore Kevin Ogletree.
Coaches and teammates have spoken highly of Ogletree’s ability. At 6-foot-2 and 186 pounds, he’s got the physical tools to be a playmaker. But he saw limited action as a true freshman last season. Five of his seven receptions last year came in a 51-3 win over Temple.
Groh said he isn’t sure what to expect of Ogletree in Saturday’s opener at Pittsburgh.
“Definitely, Kevin Ogletree has got to come in and prove himself,” said senior Fontel Mines, who starts at the other receiver spot.
Returning punts and kickoffs will be a Sophomore transfer from Hawaii, Andrew Pearman
Pearman, younger brother of former Virginia star Alvin Pearman, will return both punts and kickoffs. No one questions Pearman’s speed or elusiveness.
“We want to see if he can catch the ball,” Groh said.
I really hope the special teams coaches are reading this.
The other penchant of the Parcells coaching tree is trying to keep things secret. No matter how silly.
If you went by the depth chart, it would appear that junior Chris Gould will get the first shot at kicking field goals and extra points for the Cavaliers, with sophomore Ryan Weigand starting at punter.
Groh might have a different plan, but don’t try getting the answer before Saturday’s game. Gould remains an option at punter, a position he has held since late in the ’04 season.
“I probably have [decided on a punter],” Groh said, “but I don’t know that I have necessarily told anybody that.”
Brilliant.
There is still one receiver for Virginia who was expected to start and hasn’t been injured, kicked off the team or arrested. Frontel Mines looks to be lining up against Darrelle Revis.
In Virginia’s upset of No. 4 Florida State, Mines had a career-best five receptions for 49 yards. In the Cavaliers’ comeback win over Minnesota in the Music City Bowl, he caught four passes, including one for a TD late in the third quarter.
With his muscular frame (6-4, 220 pounds), Mines could almost pass for a tight end, and he’s an ideal complement to the sleeker, faster Williams (6-3, 196). Now, however, with Williams out indefinitely, Mines looks around the huddle and sees less-experienced receivers: juniors Emmanuel Byers and Theirrien Davis, sophomores Kevin Ogletree, Andrew Pearman and Maurice Covington.
“The receivers, we just got to embrace the challenge,” said Mines, who’s caught 41 passes for 481 yards and three TDs as a Cavalier. “We’ve got to be ready to step up and fill the void.”
Honestly, if there is a game where Pitt should have the safeties playing closer to the line to help on the run and bring pressure on the QB, this game has to be the one.
Finally, apparently Pitt isn’t the only team that has a leader on defense with great bloodlines that will generate glowing stories. The Cavs have Howie Long’s kid to fill that void.
