Watching Matt Schaub in an Atlanta Falcons uniform this preseason got me thinking about his place in Virginia football history. He owns every passing record in the program's book, and yet I never thought about him as the best quarterback in Virginia history as I watched his career unfold. So, I did some research to find out if Matt Schaub, the master of the screen pass, is truly Virginia's greatest quarterback.
Aaron Brooks was the first name I thought of, mainly because he's currently in the NFL. Brooks' college career seems to mirror his time in the professional ranks, showing flashes of brilliance like his 345 yard performance against Virginia Tech in 1998. But he only registered a 16-7 overall record. Brooks was good in college, but not great.
Mike Groh, Al's son and current Cavalier quarterback coach also has to be discussed when talking about great Virginia quarterbacks. Groh is largely responsible for the second most important date in University history after the 1819 founding--the Cavaliers' 1995 victory over Florida State, FSU's first loss to an ACC opponent. He threw for 302 yards and two touchdowns in the victory.
When he left, Groh was in the top three in all major passing categories. He was a very good quarterback, and a big-game player, as shown in the Florida State win. In two years of starting, he led the Cavaliers to 18 wins and two post-season victories in the Peach and Independence bowls.
Comparing the two, I still like Schaub over Groh, mainly because Schaub knocked out Groh's most important record in 2002: the single season passing crown. Schaub matched his two bowl victories too, and had a better career completion percentage.
I started to dig a little deeper, and found Matt Blundin, who graduated in 1992. Blundin played solid, mistake-free football, much like Schaub, and in 1991 he didn't throw a single interception.
He held the ACC record for most consecutive completions without an interception until 1999, and when Schaub committed to Virginia, he drew comparisons to Blundin who was also from Pennsylvania. Schaub seems to have beaten Blundin at his own game however, achieving more through playing a similar style.
As a Packer fan, I also checked out Don Majkowski, known as 'The Majik Man.' His ankle injury while with the Packers ushered in the Brett Favre era in 1992. He graduated from Virginia in 1987, and led Virginia to a Peach Bowl win in 1984 over Purdue. He can't seriously be talked about as the greatest Virginia quarterback, but he definitely has the best nickname, easily topping Schaub's Scheisman.
Then I found Schaub's toughest competition, the player who set most of the records Schaub broke. Shawn Moore, a threat with both his legs and his arm, led the Cavaliers to their first ever New Year's Day Bowl appearance in 1990. Before Schaub, he held Virginia's career passing and touchdown records, and was a Heisman trophy finalist. He quarterbacked the only Virginia team ever to hold the number one ranking in the country.
The two quarterbacks' statistics are fairly comparable, with Schaub ahead in all categories, but not by much. Schaub was a dark horse candidate for Heisman and the team never reached the top five under his leadership, which may be the deciding factor for who was the better quarterback.
I think Moore may have the slight edge because his national profile was higher than Schaub's with the number one ranking and the Heisman. It really depends on what you value more, statistics or the team's success. Both were terrific quarterbacks and will hold their rightful place in Virginia history, until the next quarterback comes along to break all the records and start the debate again. Maybe Marques Hagans?
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