2008 Virginia Cavaliers Preview

Attrition is a part of college football. That’s the company line at Virginia, and the Cavaliers have been sticking to it as they’ve prepared for the 2008 season. “We’re who we’ve got, and we’re ready to put the team together with what we’ve got,” coach Al Groh says.

Two Minute Drill

A Quick Look at the Cavaliers

Virginia showed admirable mental toughness last year, winning an NCAA-record five games by two points or less. The Cavaliers will need more of it this year, with a team that’s been rocked by unexpected offseason departures. As a result, a program that looked to be on solid footing after surprising success in 2007 now appears to be facing another rebuilding job. The big questions are at quarterback, and on the offensive and defensive lines. Virginia’s offense didn’t scare anyone last year, but quarterback Jameel Sewell had a knack for engineering game-winning drives. With Sewell unexpectedly gone, sophomore Peter Lalich will be rushed into the job. He lacks Sewell’s elusiveness, and will count on a rebuilt offensive line to keep him upright. If the line holds up, Virginia has weapons at running back and receiver. The defense, which kept Virginia in so many games last year, is unproven up front, which is precisely where it was so strong a year ago. The kicking game is a concern. The schedule is tough. Virginia will learn immediately just where it stands, with USC coming to Scott Stadium for the season-opener. Even with another overachieving effort, it’s hard to envision the Cavaliers approaching last year’s success. Virginia will drop. The key is to prevent that drop from becoming a plunge.

The problem is, Virginia has a lot less than it expected to have, after a rash of offseason departures that had fans worried all spring over who’d be the next to leave.

The Cavaliers already knew they’d have to replace All-America defensive end Chris Long and five other defensive starters. That was a challenging prospect, to be sure, but at least everyone knew it was coming. What Virginia didn’t count on was losing quarterback Jameel Sewell, defensive end Jeffrey Fitzgerald, guard Branden Albert and cornerback Chris Cook, all major contributors with eligibility remaining.

Sewell, Fitzgerald and Cook were academic casualties. Albert entered the NFL Draft. Also gone is linebacker J’Courtney Williams, the team’s highest-rated recruit in 2007. He was kicked off the team after an offseason arrest.

Defensive coordinator Mike London also left, to become head coach at Richmond. London was considered the program’s top recruiter.

The Cavaliers will move on, but any momentum gained from a better-than-expected 2007 season seems to be lost. Virginia was one of the feel-good stories of the year, winning five games by two points or less and reaching the Gator Bowl. It didn’t take long for the good feelings to fade.

Quarterbacks

Virginia lived with Sewell’s inconsistency for two seasons because he so often came through in the clutch. He presumably would have been more consistent as a junior, but we’ll never know. With Sewell gone, the job belongs to sophomore Peter Lalich, who is more of a pocket passer than the mobile Sewell. Groh used Lalich to light a fire under Sewell last year, and he appeared in eight games. Many people criticized the decision not to redshirt Lalich, but now that game experience looks valuable. “He feels so much farther ahead than he would have ever felt had he not been involved in game preparation and game participation,” Groh says. Lalich was rated as one of the nation’s top high school quarterbacks in 2006. At 6'5", he’s got a big arm and doesn’t lack confidence. Virginia needs to keep him healthy. Neither backup — fifth-year senior Scott Deke and sophomore Marc Verica — has ever attempted a pass.

Running backs

Here’s a position of strength, loaded with proven veterans.  Cedric Peerman was leading the ACC in rushing when he was lost for the season with a foot injury. The hard-running senior is expected to be back at full strength. Peerman’s replacement, Mikell Simpson, rocketed from third on the depth chart and rushed for 559 yards over the final six games. Simpson, who had begun to look like a recruiting bust, also caught 43 passes and gave the Cavaliers the breakaway threat they’ve lacked in recent years. His 96-yard TD run against Texas Tech in the Gator Bowl was the longest in school history. Also back is sophomore Keith Payne, a change-of-pace tailback at 236 pounds. Fullback Rashawn Jackson, a converted linebacker, is coming off a strong performance in the Gator Bowl.

Receivers

Virginia welcomes back junior Kevin Ogletree, who caught 52 passes in 2006 but missed all of last season with a knee injury. Without Ogletree, the Cavaliers lacked a deep threat on the outside, relying on speedy tight end Tom Santi to stretch defenses. At 6'4" and 225 pounds, Maurice Covington is a big target who led all receivers with 21 catches last year. Sophomores Staton Jobe and Dontrelle Inman showed promise. For once, the receiver position appears to be well-stocked. The Cavaliers are always loaded at tight end, and this year is no exception. Despite the loss of Santi and Jonathan Stupar, the Cavaliers are well-equipped at one of Groh’s favorite positions. John Phillips, a senior, caught 17 passes in limited action last year and is in line to be the next big producer at this key spot in the offense. Sophomore Joe Torchia will also play a lot.

Offensive linemen

The loss of Albert was not totally unexpected. He considered entering the draft after the 2006 season as well. Still, it leaves Virginia with some major holes in the middle of the line, where center Jordy Lipsey and guard Ian-Yates Cunningham also must be replaced. The strength of the unit will be on the edges. Senior Eugene Monroe was rated as the nation’s top high school lineman four years ago, and he didn’t allow a sack last year at left tackle. Right tackle Will Barker has 25 career starts. Jack Shields, a converted tight end, will take over at center. Zak Stair, a former tackle with seven career starts, should hold down one guard spot. The other spot is up in the air, with redshirt freshman Billy Cuffee and sophomore B.J. Cabbell in the mix. To take advantage of the talent at the skill positions, Virginia needs this group to grow up quickly.

Defensive linemen

There is no replacing Long, one of the top players in the country last year and one of the best in school history. Fitzgerald, though, was just a notch behind his more-celebrated teammate. After earning freshman All-America honors in 2006, he followed up with 73 tackles and seven sacks last year. He and Long were arguably the best pair of ends in the nation, and rarely came off the field. For that reason, none of this year’s candidates to start at end have much experience. Alex Field saw limited duty in all 13 games, and Sean Gottschalk appeared in nine. They are the frontrunners to start, but redshirt freshmen Matt Conrath and Zane Parr could be in the mix. “We really like the young players we have there, but obviously that’s what they are, young players,” Groh says. The situation is more settled at nosetackle, where Nate Collins has been in the rotation for two years, backing up graduated senior Allen Billyk.

Linebackers

Virginia returns three starters, making this unit the backbone of Groh’s 3-4 defense. Jon Copper, a former walk-on, has led the team in tackles the last two seasons from one inside position. Antonio Appleby is also entering his third year as a starter. On the outside, Clint Sintim is one of those players who seems to have been around forever. A fifth-year senior, Sintim is big enough (6'3", 254 pounds) to play defensive end in most schemes. He was second to Long with nine sacks last year and should be the team’s best pass rusher this year, helping make up for the losses at defensive end. The other outside position is up for grabs. Whoever wins it will have the benefit of playing with three seniors who’ve seen it all.

Defensive backs

Virginia has recruited well here in recent years, and the depth should offset the loss of Cook and two senior safeties. Cook missed the Gator Bowl for academic reasons, and sophomore Ras-I Dowling filled in ably. Dowling was an honorable mention freshman All-American who has good size and ball skills, as evidenced by his nine pass break-ups and two interceptions. Junior Vic Hall, a returning starter, holds down the other spot. Trey Womack, a special teams standout, provides depth. The status of Mike Brown, who missed last season with a knee injury, was up in the air after an offseason arrest. Byron Glaspy is the only returnee at safety. He’s got 26 career starts. Competition for the other spot will be lively. Mike Parker, a former cornerback, is vying with sophomore Matt Leemhuis and redshirt freshman Corey Mosley.

Specialists

Gone are Ryan Weigand, who was fourth in the nation in punting average, and Chris Gould, who blossomed into a reliable placekicker. Redshirt freshman Chris Hinkebein takes over for Gould, while sophomore John Thornton is the top punting candidate.

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