If Virginia football coach Al Groh wants his bench kept warm this year, he's going to have to find someone new to do it for him. Matt Schaub is going to be otherwise occupied.
The returning ACC Player of the Year, Schaub made a Lazarus-like turnaround last season, going from starter to goat to backup, then turning it around and regaining the starting job. Schaub made the most of his second chance, and is now a Heisman Trophy contender and the toast of the Dominion State.
Last fall, Schaub started off the season as the Cavaliers' starter, but he put forth such an abysmal performance against Colorado State, passing for only 73 yards, that he was benched for the next game against Florida State. He went 9-3 the rest of the year, and led Virginia to a surprisingly easy win over West Virginia in the Continental Tire Bowl.
"He's a guy who started off the year just with an awful game against Colorado State," football head coach Carl Franks said. "He made it. Here's a guy who can have that happen to him. He fought back to be the player of the year, and that's pretty impressive."
When Schaub got behind center again, he thrived in Virginia's West Coast Offense. Schaub is ideally suited to Groh, who eschews the deep ball in favor of shorter routes. This manageable offense, combined with Schaub's talents, led to his NCAA-second-best 68.9% completion percentage.
Just as Schaub doesn't produce the big play very often, he gives up a big defensive play much less.
"He's a guy who does not hold on to the ball and take a sack," Franks said. "He finds a place to throw it. He doesn't give up a negative yardage play very easily."
Schaub has lost two of his biggest threats at receiver: Billy McMullen is now in the NFL, and Michael McGrew is out for the season with a leg injury. Schaub doubts that this will have much impact on his passes, but acknowledges that his strategy might be different this year.
"I'm all for going deep," Schaub told USA Today. "But whatever we have to do to win, that's what we'll do."
Some critics in the press suggest that Schaub's effectiveness came largely from McMullen and McGrew, and that Schaub's Heisman hopes and media hype are simply pipe dreams. Franks disagrees.
"I think a lot of the press has to do with his individual talent," Franks noted. You get somebody who has a lot of individual talent surround those guys with really good players, you got a pretty good combination, then they can be even better. They can complement each other."
Schaub's numbers last season would have been impressive regardless of whom he was targeting. He was second in the ACC in touchdowns and completions, with 28 and 288, respectively. Not too shabby for a man who sat out the season's second game.
But last year is last year, and Schaub will be seeing little to no bench time in 2003, as he pursues the Heisman and his team pursues their first ACC championship since 1990. He is very aware that this year is a whole new ballgame.
"We got another season to work on now," he told USA Today.
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