Returning to practice for the first time in four days, Coach Al Groh seemed to be intent on keeping his team's intensity high despite the lull that a bye week sometimes creates.
He also discussed a brewing debate over the resale of student guest tickets to Virginia Tech fans for the Nov. 29 contest in Charlottesville.
Groh talked about the importance of managing the bye week properly so as to have his team mentally and physically prepared as well as taking advantage of the rest and recuperation value of the week off.
"For the players, we started on Monday, so we were 48 hours after winning a game and 12 days away from getting ready for another game," Groh said. "That can kind of be a passionless period of time for practice; fortunately we have a lot of players on the team who really like football."
Contrary to popular opinion, Groh said this weekend's break may actually refresh the Cavaliers passion for this weekend's game.
"You can give the information to the players too far in advance whereby they lose their stimulation and their sense of urgency to grasp it," Groh said.
This sense of urgency is crucial for the players to grasp the game plan quickly and fully, keeping them primed and alert for their Saturday opponent. The Demon Deacons, like the Cavaliers, come into the game with a 1-0 record in the ACC with a win over NC State in Winston Salem three weeks ago. The Deacons boast a complicated offensive attack that often confuses defenses.
"Their system is expansive enough that they could be doing the same things that they've been doing since their arrival, and it could still look different to us this week," Groh said.
Overall, Groh seemed to declare the bye week a success, explaining that not only did it help in getting replacement quarterback Marques Hagans more acclimated to his old position but also that the week off helped with bringing along some of the younger players.
"We had a purpose for each day rather than just running plays," Groh said. "I think we improved some things from a scheme standpoint and hopefully we improved some players, perhaps accelerated their development, so that we might be able to lengthen our depth here through the course of this year."
Groh also discussed a rumor that arose during his call-in radio show last week. A caller claimed that some Virginia students were selling the student guest tickets they bought for the Virginia Tech game online to Virginia Tech fans.
"This comes at an opportune time since I heard on the radio this morning that this is the anniversary of the hanging of Nathan Hale for being a traitor," Groh said. "We don't still hang people in Virginia, do we?"
When questioned further though, Groh made clear that he did not have all the facts on the situation yet and would wait to comment later, when he collects more information.
Groh stressed the importance of balancing the rest and work of the bye week, especially as the Cavaliers face their biggest test of the season thus far in Wake Forest Saturday here in Charlottesville.
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