By Aaron Perryman Cavalier Daily Staff Writer Normally, if you asked a football fan who a standout player on their favorite team is, the answers would typically be a quarterback, running back, wide receiver or perhaps a terrific defensive player. This may not be the case for Virginia in 2006, however. When thinking of this Cavalier team's star players, junior Josh Zidenberg and his special teams play should not be overlooked.
Zidenberg is listed as a fullback but his major contributions this season have come on the special teams unit. He has blocked two punts already this year through only five games. The last year the entire Cavalier team blocked two punts was in 1998, so the fact that Zidenberg has done it twice by himself through five games is a remarkable feat.
The record for most blocked punts by a Cavalier in a single year is three by Anthony Poindexter in 1996. Poindexter is currently the running backs coach and assistant special teams coordinator for Virginia. With seven games still to go in this season, tying or breaking this record is a definite possibility.
Poindexter "actually said something to me about it in the locker room," Zidenberg said. "Hopefully I can give him a run for his money. That'd be great."
Zidenberg's first block this year came against Wyoming in the first home game of the season. The block led to a crucial three points for the Cavaliers, who only won 13-12 by a point in overtime. Zidenberg's more recent block came last Saturday at Duke. This block led to a touchdown for the Cavaliers and added to Virginia's momentum as they went on to a 37-0 drubbing of the Blue Devils.
"It was kind of the same call, but it was different in that the formation was different," Zidenberg said. "The first one I more freelanced. This one was more, I knew that I was going for it and had a great opportunity to get it."
As is the case with nearly all solid players, Zidenberg has a belief in his own talents.
"I feel confident in my ability to beat the snapper one-on-one, considering that he has to snap the ball and then has to block," Zidenberg said.
However, Virginia coach Al Groh points out that Zidenberg's confidence is often of the quiet type.
"Josh is one of those players who is not flashy, but he's dependable," Groh said. "Whatever job he's given, he will do it as well as he can do it and he certainly did that on that play."
This was the second consecutive blocked punt at Duke by the Cavaliers.
"Duke runs a little bit of an unusual punt formation," Groh said. "Jon Thompson blocked one for us down here two years ago. It was much the same thing here. Josh had a good idea of what to do against the formation."
Even though the Cavaliers put up 37 points against Duke, the offense still struggled, producing only 253 yards. The scoring drives were generally short, and Duke turned the ball over five times, hiding the continuing struggles of the offense. If the struggles continue, Zidenberg may need to break Poindexter's blocked punts record to ignite the Cavaliers to more wins in the future.
Read More
Malik Washington selected 184th overall in the 2024 NFL Draft by the Miami Dolphins
By Xander Tilock | 10 hours agoWashington may have fallen down the draft board, but he will surely make a significant impact at the professional level.
At Virginia wushu, everybody is ‘Kung Fu Fighting’
By Xander Tilock | 11 hours agoA national powerhouse, Virginia wushu is both a top tier athletic club and a welcoming community.
Five Takeaways from Virginia’s Spring Game
By Peter Kriebel | YesterdayVirginia football is shaping up to make significant progress in 2024, led by an array of newcomers and promising underclassmen.
