Bad loss, Groh’s future leave Cavs depressed

CHARLOTTESVILLE — The denials were copious as the week progressed. Virginia players were focused on Virginia Tech, they said, worried about ending a five-game losing streak against the Hokies and earning the Commonwealth Cup for the first time since 2003. Al Groh’s job security, or lack of it, as it may be? That was an outside factor, one that didn’t concern the Wahoos.

But as Cavalier players trickled into the Scott Stadium interview room Saturday after a 42-13 loss to their arch-rivals, that veneer disappeared. Players were openly emotional. Tailback Mikell Simpson’s lips quivered as he spoke. And former Gretna standout Vic Hall, spoke honestly and freely, tears wetting his eyes.

“I can speak for the team when I say that we’re going to play hard for coach Groh, whatever the situation is,” Hall said. “He gets a lot of criticism because he’s the head coach, and when stuff doesn’t go right, he’s going to be the guy that everybody looks to. But it’s not always him. Sometimes it’s players, individuals.

“I personally love coach Groh. He did a lot of things for me, gave me a lot of opportunities. Whatever the situation is, I look at him no differently.”

Virginia’s players were still trying to process what had transpired. First, on the field, where the Hokies turned a 14-13 game late in the third quarter into a 29-point rout thanks to four unanswered touchdowns.

Then, in the locker room, where Groh spoke to his players for possibly the last time. He recited a 1934 Dale Wimbrow poem titled “The Guy in the Glass.” And when the “elephant in the room” question came up at the end of Groh’s press conference — “Do you think you’ve coached your last game here?” — Groh responded by unfolding a sheet of white paper and reading the same poem to the assembled press.

The gist? Be happy with yourself, because you have to answer to yourself first and foremost in life. (See accompanying box for full poem transcript.)

In an interesting side note, Bill Parcells — Groh’s mentor — used the same poem to address his players when he resigned as coach of the New York Jets in 2000, according to a New York Times article.

Cavalier linebacker Aaron Clark said Groh hadn’t shared anything with the players about his job situation before or after the game, choosing to focus instead on preparing his team to face the Hokies.

“As far as details, that’s personal locker room talk for the team,” Clark said. “Just basically, he said he stands behind us and he’s proud of us. We do the same for him. He’s a great guy and a great coach. I love the guy.”

The black marks on Groh’s eight-year tenure at Virginia are easily definable. The Cavaliers are 1-8 against Virginia Tech under Groh, and the Hokies have risen to national prominence while Virginia has been stuck spinning its wheels. The Cavs have made only one New Year’s Day bowl appearance under Groh, a loss to Texas Tech in the 2008 Gator Bowl. Tech has dominated Virginia in the area of in-state recruiting, and by the time the game turned ugly Saturday, it seemed that much of the Cavalier fan base had given up.

With about 10 minutes to play in the fourth quarter and Virginia facing 3rd-and-7 from the Tech 45, quarterback Jameel Sewell dropped back and fired a pass well behind Tim Smith on the left sideline. Trailing 28-13, Groh chose to punt rather than go for it, a decision that would usually cause a cackle of jeers to emit from the crowd.

“If it was a little bit shorter,” Groh said, “we would have gone for it.”

Instead, just a small smattering of boos cascaded from the crowd. Already forced to endure Virginia’s worst season in 23 years, which included a loss at home to FCS William & Mary and a six-game losing streak to end the season, Virginia’s fan base seemingly didn’t see the point in voicing further displeasure.

Instead, as the Cavaliers trotted off the field at the end of the game, they looked up to see a sea of maroon left in the Scott Stadium stands. Fans shouted, “Let’s go Hokies!” and “Let Al stay!” a painful reminder of just how far behind Tech the Cavaliers have fallen in the last half decade.

“It’s tough, with them being a big rival and me being a Virginia guy,” Hall said. “It’s a hard pill to swallow.”

Sewell took the loss especially hard. After academic struggles forced Sewell to miss a year of playing time, Groh welcomed him back with open arms once he got his grades in order. He admitted that he had a lot on his mind entering Saturday’s game.

Said Sewell: “You know what? I did a lot of worrying … about what’s next. For me and the program. This is my family. I want things to go well here. From what everybody’s saying, things might change here. But the Lord has a plan for all of us. It might not be what we want. But he’s not going to put us through anything we can’t get through. I’ve been really trying to take that to heart.”