Wali Lundy was a workhorse Saturday, carrying 23 times for 75 yards and throwing a nine-yard touchdown pass to lead the Wahoos to a 10-7 victory over the Cavaliers in Virginia's annual intrasquad spring football game.
"I thought both teams performed well," tight end Heath Miller said. "Obviously, there's a lot of room for improvement, but it's a good step headed into the summer workouts."
This year's format simulated a real game as assistant coaches Mike London and Mike Groh drafted and coached the split squad teams. London's Wahoos wore white and chose linebacker Darryl Blackstock with its first pick. Mike Groh's Cavaliers donned blue and made quarterback Marques Hagans its first selection.
Those fans who came to see the emergence of an established depth chart at quarterback went home disappointed, as the four competitors vying for the starting job combined to complete only 17-of-37 passes for 154 yards and no touchdowns. None of them recorded a completion percentage higher than 50 percent, and Hagans also threw two interceptions, including one by Marcus Hamilton, who picked off a "Hail Mary" pass on last play of the game.
"Overall, today I'd say the quarterback play was erratic," head coach Al Groh said. Hagans "went into the spring [at number one] and most likely will remain that way."
Hagans said he realizes that the position is a work in progress.
"I think [my confidence and poise] has come a long way, but at the same time I still have a long way to go," he said.
While Lundy was the primary ballcarrier for the victorious Wahoos, Alvin Pearman and Michael Johnson shared the load for the opposing Cavaliers. Pearman ran 12 times for 49 yards and the team's lone TD, taking a sweep left nine yards for the score. Johnson, who redshirted the 2003 season, carried nine times for 30 yards.
Twelve different receivers caught passes on the afternoon, led by Ron Morton who reeled in three balls for 30 yards.
Connor Hughes kicked for both teams, hitting both extra points, but his field goal tries made the difference in the game, as he connected from 27 yards out for the Wahoos but missed from 49 yards for the Cavaliers.
News and Notes:
The four co-captains for the 2004 season, voted on by their teammates, will be Miller, Elton Brown, Chris Canty and Brennan Schmidt. All of them, coincidentally, played for the Wahoos Saturday, effectively ending the tradition of giving the infamous orange and blue fire hydrant to the captain of the losing spring team.... Hamilton and Johnson were awarded the Rock Weir Award, given annually to the offensive and defensive player who improved the most during spring practice.... Before pulling a hamstring, fullback Jason Snelling ran the ball once for seven yards in his first action since the 2002 Tire Bowl.... The afternoon's two largest ovations from the crowd came in response to a booming 45-yard punt by Kurt Korte and to a big hit by Tony Franklin. Franklin then incurred a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for a dancing celebration, which Groh described as a "ridiculous antic."
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