Groh: Miami as close to dynasty as it gets

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Posted 6:13AM on Tuesday, November 9, 2004

CHARLOTTESVILLE, VIRGINIA - Forget the consecutive losses, even to teams that Virginia beat handily, when considering No. 18 Miami. Al Groh, coach of the No. 10 Cavaliers, said Monday that the word dynasty is thrown around too often, but might actually apply here. ``To be a dynasty, you have to be pretty good for a long time,'' he said in acknowledging that he was stretching the definition somewhat. ``But if it's possible to define a dynasty in a 10- or 12-year time frame, this team probably is as close to a dynasty as we've seen in organized sports over the last 12 years,'' Groh said. ``Maybe the Yankees and the Hurricanes.'' Miami, in its first year in the Atlantic Coast Conference, will come to Scott Stadium for the first time on Saturday for a 3:30 p.m. kickoff. The Hurricanes lost 31-28 at North Carolina two weeks ago, a team Virginia beat 56-24. They then lost 24-17 at home against Clemson on Saturday night. The Cavaliers beat the Tigers 30-10, also at Scott Stadium. Groh scoffed at one characterization of Miami as vulnerable. ``I wouldn't put the word vulnerable on this team,'' he said. ``They've lost two game in a row on the last play of the game. We should be so lucky when we lose two games that we're in the game that long.'' PEERLESS PEARMAN: It's not exactly a groundswell yet, but Groh and guard Elton Brown think Alvin Pearman is the ACC's player of the year. ``The guy's played everything. He's been a receiver, punt returner, kick returner and had tremendous games at running back,'' Brown said. ``I wouldn't be surprised if they lined him up at (defensive) end. ``He has my vote.'' Groh, who has made it a point to promote his players for such accolades, said he was surprised to read or overhear recently the theory that there's no clear frontrunner for the award this year in the ACC. ``Who's had a real dynamic season or been more important to his team than Alvin Pearman?'' Groh said. ``How many players have returned a punt for a touchdown, returned a kickoff for a touchdown, been on three different special teams, started a game at split end and then came back and rushed for whatever it is, 400 yards, in two consecutive conference games. ``That's pretty good football.'' Pearman, an emergency starter against Syracuse at receiver, has run for 393 yards in his last two games, starting with 223 yards against Duke. That effort left him one yard short of the school single-game record. Pearman leads the ACC with an average of 160.1 all-purpose yards per game, but actually does not have a kickoff return touchdown. He had a 93-yard return against North Carolina, but was caught at the 1 yard-line. It is the longest nonscoring return in school history. DARRYL ... DARRYL: Groh hasn't appreciated feeling like he's had to defend the play of outside linebacker Darryl Blackstock in recent weeks. Blackstock, a junior pass-rushing specialist trying to mold himself into a complete linebacker, is just 10th on the team in tackles, but Groh has repeatedly insisted that Blackstock has done everything he's asked. In Virginia's 16-0 victory against Maryland on Saturday, Blackstock had two sacks, boosting his total for the season to five and moving him into fifth place on the ACC's career list for linebacker sacks with 22. ``I told Darryl today, `Now this is easy. Now when I go to the press conference, I won't have to answer the weekly what's wrong with Blackstock question,''' Groh said. ``That's what everybody always wants to know.'' END QUOTE: ``Most of the predictors in July had two teams from the same state being on top. It just wasn't from this state. We'll see how it all turns out. There's a lot to go down before we can make a determination on that.'' Groh on Virginia and Virginia Tech being tied for first place in the ACC. Most experts assumed it would be Miami and Florida State.