Virginia Cavaliers
Preview 2009
By
Richard Cirminiello
Interested in blogging
about Virginia football?
Let
us know
-
2009 CFN Virginia
Preview |
2009
Virginia Offense
- 2009 Virginia
Defense | 2009
Virginia Depth Chart
-
2008 Virginia
Preview |
2007 Virginia
Preview | 2006 Virginia
Preview
Head coach: Al Groh
9th year: 56-44
15th year overall: 82-84
Returning Lettermen:
Off. 15, Def. 16, ST 2
Lettermen Lost: 17 |
Ten
Best Cavalier Players
1. QB/CB Vic Hall, Sr.
2. CB Ras-I
Dowling, Jr.
3. RB Mikell Simpson, Sr.
4. RT Will
Barker, Sr.
5. QB Jameel Sewell, Sr.
6. DE Matt Conrath,
Soph.
7. FB Rashawn Jackson, Sr.
8. CB Chris Cook, Sr.
9. DL Nate Collins, Sr.
10. NT Nick Jenkins, Soph. |
|
2009 Schedule
CFN Prediction: 5-7
2009 Record:
0-0
9/5 William &
Mary
9/12 TCU
9/19 at Southern Miss
9/26 OPEN DATE
10/3 at North Carolina
10/10 Indiana
10/17 at Maryland
10/24 Georgia Tech
10/31 Duke
11/7 at Miami
11/14 Boston College
11/21 at Clemson
11/28 Virginia Tech |
|
2008
Schedule
CFN
Prediction: 7-5
2008 Record: 5-7
930
USC L 52-7
9/6 Richmond W 16-0
9/13 at Connecticut L 45-10
9/20 OPEN DATE
9/27 at Duke L 31-3
10/4 Maryland W 31-0
10/11 East Carolina W
35-20
10/18 No Carolina W
16-13 OT
10/25 at Georgia Tech W 24-17
11/1 Miami L 24-17 OT
11/8 at Wake Forest L 28-17
11/15 OPEN DATE
11/22 Clemson L 13-3
11/29 at Virginia Tech L 17-14 |
Will mediocrity continue to be tolerated in
Charlottesville?
Virginia is a nice program. It typically attracts
good student-athletes, sends a handful to the NFL,
and rarely delivers a dreadful season, but is that
enough? Three 5-7 campaigns, including last fall,
since Al Groh arrived in 2001 have left the
administration and the fan base feeling antsy. Heck,
right in their own state, the Cavaliers have had to
witness consecutive ACC championships from Virginia
Tech, and the league as a whole is becoming more
competitive. Groh has to avoid his first
back-to-back losing seasons with a program that’s
littered with question marks on both sides of the
ball.
Oh, there’s talent at UVA, but just not enough to be
considered a serious threat in the Coastal Division.
The situation is especially drab on offense, where
the Cavs were dead last in the league in scoring and
total offense. To help usher in a new era, Groh
hired Gregg Brandon to install a more up-tempo
attack, welcomed QB Jameel Sewell back to the
program, and officially moved Vic Hall over from
cornerback to make sure he has competition this
summer. While they should make a difference, it
would be foolish to expect dramatically different
results this quickly.
Concerns are by no means limited to the offense. The
3-4 defense must replace its top three tacklers, all
linebackers, and the special teams have enough holes
to keep Ron Prince busy in his return to the
University. On a positive note, it was a quieter
offseason around campus than last year, when
suspensions and dismissals were being handed out a
regular basis.
Last year was supposed to be about rebuilding for
2009. Instead, Virginia regressed, leaving the
upcoming season shrouded in uncertainty and modest
expectations. The Cavaliers desperately need to tap
into some of the magic it had in 2007, but doing so
will require the navigation of a thorny schedule
that includes nine bowl teams.
Another bout of mediocrity appears to be a more
likely scenario.
What to look for on offense:
The quarterback situation. Sure, Virginia wants to
open things up offensively. We’ve heard it before.
No scheme or playbook is going to matter if the
program doesn’t get better play from behind center.
Much better. The passing game was laughable last
year, but help is on the way. Big lefty Jameel
Sewell is back after not being enrolled at the
school in 2008, and shifty Vic Hall has made a
full-time commitment to offense after spending his
first three years as a cornerback. Although both are
mobile, Sewell is by far the more polished passer.
Some combination of the two can be expected once the
season begins.
What to look for on defense:
The secondary will be all grown up. Unlike a year
ago, when the defensive backfield was young and
inexperienced, this group has the talent and depth
to be the strongest on the team. All-star CB Ras-I
Dowling is the cover boy, but he’ll get plenty of
help now that Chris Cook has returned to the program
and sophomore safeties Rodney McLeod and Corey
Mosley are a year older. These guys have the size
and the speed to blanket opposing receivers, giving
a questionable front seven that extra second or two
it needs to get a paw on the quarterback.
This team will be much better if… Gregg
Brandon winds up being a magician. The new offensive
coordinator was brought in to spice up an offense
that’s been among the ACC’s most feeble this decade.
It won’t be easy, but if he can make an immediate
impact, getting back to the postseason becomes a
whole lot easier. Al Groh always manages to cobble
together a stingy defense that keeps the Cavaliers
in most games. However, you can’t score 16 points a
game, like last year, and expect to reach the .500
mark.
The Schedule: The
Cavaliers have an interesting and somewhat challenging non-conference
schedule. William & Mary won't be a true pushover to start the season,
TCU is a nasty team to deal with, and the trip to Southern Miss won't
exactly lighten things up. The ACC season couldn't start out tougher
with a trip to North Carolina, while there's another road game at
Maryland following the final non-conference date against Indiana. Having
to go to Clemson and Miami aren't going to make November easy,
especially with home games against Boston College and Virginia Tech. In
other words, Virginia needs to get off to a hot start and has to have a
strong record before hitting November.
Best Offensive Player: Senior QB Vic
Hall. A new category might need to be created here
because Hall does a little bit of everything and
isn’t strictly an offensive player. Virginia’s
Vic-of-all-trades is the leading returning tackler,
tied a school record with five forced fumbles,
handled punt returns, and is a team captain. Oh,
yeah, and he’s also one of the favorites to be the
quarterback after zipping through Virginia Tech for
109 rushing yards and two scores last November.
Wherever No. 4 winds up, he’ll play a huge part in
the ‘Hoos’ 2009 fortunes.
Best Defensive Player: Junior CB Ras-I
Dowling. Two successful seasons as the starter has
Dowling sneaking up on the nation’s premier
cornerbacks. A 6-2, 200-pound ball-hawk, he has
uncommon size for such a fluid and speedy pass
defender. After parlaying three picks and 11 pass
breakups into a spot on the All-ACC second team, he
could be primping this season for early entry into
the 2010 NFL Draft.
Key player to a successful season:
Sophomore LT Landon Bradley. The Cavaliers won’t
have a great offensive line, but it does figure to be solid enough with the
return of four starters. However, it can ill-afford
to have a weak link at left tackle, where Bradley is
expected to replace first round draft choice Eugene
Monroe. He’s looked like the real deal in the
offseason, but needs to carry that into the regular
season in order to prevent any hitches in the
trenches.
The season will be a success if ...
Virginia squeezes out six wins and a low-level bowl
berth. Listen, it’s going to be a stretch with a
schedule that includes TCU, Georgia Tech, North
Carolina, Miami, Clemson, and Virginia Tech, but a
second straight bowl-less December is going to
create a climate of crisis at the end of the regular
season. Something resembling momentum from last
year’s 5-7 disappointment is on the top of the 2009
to-do list.
Key game:
Nov. 28 vs. Virginia Tech. Much like
Georgia Tech did versus Georgia last fall, it’s high
time for Virginia to finally break through against
its chief in-state rival. The Cavs have lost nine of
the last 10 to the Hokies, including the last five
under Al Groh. The head coach, more than anyone else, has to pick one of
these off because he’s quickly running out of time with an impatient fan
base.
2008 Fun Stats:
- Third quarter
scoring: Opponents 49 - Virginia 23
- Sacks: Virginia 29 for 214
yards - Opponents 16 for 132 yards
- Time of possession: Opponents
32:09 - Virginia 27:51
-
2009 CFN Virginia
Preview | 2009
Virginia Offense
- 2009 Virginia
Defense | 2009
Virginia Depth Chart
-
2008 Virginia
Preview |
2007 Virginia
Preview | 2006 Virginia
Preview