Cavs hope to get Lalich back for ACC opener at Duke

By Doug Doughty

When Virginia's football team walked onto the practice field Sunday, less than 24 hours after taking a 45-10 whipping at Connecticut, it was joined by former starting quarterback Peter Lalich.

Lalich did not make the trip to Connecticut - not that he would have changed the outcome - but his availability is certain to be a topic of conversation as the Cavaliers observe an open date before a Sept. 27 visit to Duke.

The game comes one day after Lalich is scheduled to be in Charlottesville General District Court to answer charges that he violated the probation he received for underage possession of alcohol. Lalich wasn't suspended from the team - at least, that's not a term coach Al Groh has used - but his off-field problems kept him off the dress list at UConn.

Sophomore Marc Verica took Lalich's place against the Huskies and completed 22 of 30 passes for 158 yards, but Groh indicated Sunday that Lalich's hearing would not necessarily preclude him from playing at Duke.

Groh said the court date would be a consideration in preparing the quarterbacks but noted that the open date will provide twice the normal number of practice opportunities.

"It allows us to give all of them quite a few turns and prepare for any contingency," he said.

Groh also used fifth-year senior Scott Deke in the fourth quarter; Deke's 12-yard run set up U.Va.'s lone touchdown on a 1-yard run by Cedric Peerman.

Verica and Deke were intercepted once each, but Groh noted that Verica's numbers "came out fairly decent." He threw mostly short, safe passes that contributed to a 73.3 completion percentage, "but that's not an unexpected circumstance for a guy in his first game," Groh said.

The Cavaliers' defense took the brunt of the criticism Saturday night but, with its 219-yard performance, U.Va. dropped to 118th out of 119 Division

I-A teams in total offense. The Cavaliers have not finished inside the top 100 in Mike Groh's three seasons as offensive coordinator.

"The challenge is just getting to the next game and, obviously, fixing some things from this one," said junior receiver Kevin Ogletree, who had seven receptions for 58 yards Saturday and has 19 catches this season.

"Once we get to the ACC, these games just can't happen."