Cavs Run Low on Inventory

Off to a 1-3 Start, Groh's Program Has Been Hit Hard by Departures

Feeling an Absence

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- Virginia lost 11 seniors who played key roles on last season's Gator Bowl team. The Cavaliers also lost another 11 underclassmen to the NFL Draft, injuries, and academic and disciplinary ineligibility, including a number of starters (Albert, Fitzgerald, Cook and Sewell) and backups (Lalich, Carter and Sean Gottschalk, not pictured) from last season.

Virginia Coach Al Groh addressed a question about his professional vulnerability while sitting in front of a banner displaying the Cavaliers' logo and the athletic department's motto: "Uncompromised Excellence."

Months after finishing 9-4 and reaching the Gator Bowl, the Cavaliers' football program appears far from that lofty aspiration. The Cavaliers lost 11 non-seniors from last season's roster, including eight to disciplinary or academic reasons. In their absences, Virginia might remain "uncompromised" but appears to be a long way from "excellence."

Virginia, 1-3 entering Saturday's game against Maryland, sunk to an embarrassing low when it became the first Atlantic Coast Conference team to lose to Duke in 26 games. The early-season struggles left some fans wondering whether Groh, who has been named the ACC coach of the year twice since coming to Charlottesville in 2001, remains the right coach for the program.

"Every week there is a tremendous amount put into this, every week between 90, 100 hours just to have the sense of satisfaction of the accomplishment of the team playing well," Groh said. "For anyone involved who puts in that amount of time, and you don't get any reward for it, that's a difficult end of the week."

Before the loss to Duke, Groh acknowledged a lack of "inventory" on the Virginia roster. The Gator Bowl depth chart last season included seven senior starters on offense and defense, and four seniors in backup roles. Beyond those departed seniors, four other starters no longer are with the Cavaliers.

Guard Branden Albert bypassed his final year of eligibility for the NFL Draft, in which he was selected in the first round. Standout defensive end Jeffrey Fitzgerald, cornerback Chris Cook and quarterback Jameel Sewell all are no longer on the team because of academic reasons. Each was expected to play key roles on this season's team.

Three backups from the Gator Bowl squad who were expected to contribute this season are elsewhere. Defensive end Sean Gottschalk took a leave of absence for personal reasons, quarterback Peter Lalich was dismissed after violating the terms of his probation from an alcohol-related arrest and linebacker Darnell Carter is off the team because of academics.

Among the other premature departures were linebacker John Bivens, who suffered a career-ending injury and has since joined the baseball team; cornerback Mike Brown and linebacker J'Courtney Williams, both of whom were dismissed from the team for disciplinary reasons; and Chris Dalton because of academics.

The result is a largely inexperienced roster.

"Most of it is, I would put under the category, how would I say, some unexpected absences," said Groh, before listing some of the reasons for the absences. "A combination of those things have made some of these younger players take on roles that those players were expected to take on."

The problems have become most apparent at quarterback and on the defensive line.