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Football Features
Virginia quarterback Michael Rocco faced a quarterback competition with David Watford last fall as both players battled for the spot left vacant by Marc Verica. In the end, Rocco won the job and he started all 13 games for the Hoos during their 8-5 season. So while the starting quarterback at Virginia for 2012 remains to be seen with Rocco, Watford, and Alabama transfer Phillip Sims in the mix, Rocco answered The Sabre's "5 Questions" for the preseason.
After struggling with a switch in schemes in 2010, Virginia's defense displayed tremendous improvement in the second year of coach Mike London's tenure. Defensive coordinator Jim Reid's unit trimmed the averages for points, total yards, first downs per game, rushing yards, and third down conversions per game. That defensive progress played a huge role in the Cavaliers' 8-5 season. Virginia assistant coach Anthony Poindexter helped break down "How to tackle" for the Hoo Preview.
Bayside (Virginia Beach, VA) rising senior running back Taquan Mizzell thanked his family, friends, teammates and coaches. He then stated his senior season goals, which included winning a state championship and doing well in the classroom and the community. Finally, he was ready to reveal his college choice.
"And now, in 2013, I will be attending...the University of Virginia," Mizzell announced in front of a large gathering in Bayside's auditorium.
For the Virginia defense, 2012 will be looked at as a transition year. After finishing third in the ACC in total defense in 2011, the unit must undergo a major facelift this season. UVa must replace three starters on the defensive line and in the secondary. A plethora of freshmen and sophomores will get a chance to compete for starting jobs as the Cavaliers reload on defense. At the safety position, sophomore Anthony Harris is ready to step into the spotlight.
Once the offseason began for the Virginia football team, it didn't take long for many to zero in on the secondary as one area of concern for the 2012 season. Losing three multi-year starters from the depth chart tends to cause such observations. The Hoo Preview takes a look at the UVa secondary in this latest article.
Most people have probably heard the old phrase 'sink or swim' at some point. It's common lingo for throwing someone into a challenge with little preparation as if you were throwing them into the deep end of the pool with no flotation device. They'll either rise to the occasion or come up short. Virginia defensive back Demetrious 'Tra' Nicholson received that treatment last season.
The University of Virginia played host to 6'5", 290-pound defensive tackle/offensive lineman Tevin Montgomery last Friday. Montgomery, a consensus 3-star recruit out of Tabor Academy (Marion, MA), is one of UVa's top remaining targets in the class of 2013.
The Virginia football season kicks off in less than two weeks and Wahoo fans are eager to see what the next chapter in Mike London's early head coaching career will reveal. It's year three of the Coach London era at UVa, and one that brings hope to Cavalier fans that the program is ready to take the next positive step in its evolution. But before I give my summary of what Virginia football could be for 2012, it's important to take a step back and realize where we were when Coach London took the job.
Change has been a recurring theme for the Virginia defense the past few seasons. In 2009, UVa ran the 3-4 alignment on defense in Al Groh's final season in Charlottesville. Two years ago, new head coach Mike London and new defensive coordinator Jim Reid brought the 4-3 scheme to Grounds. The unit experienced massive growing pains in the first year of the 4-3, but had a turnaround season in 2011. Through all the changes, one thing has remained the same for the Cavalier defense, though: the play of linebacker Steve Greer.
In many defensive schemes, including Virginia's version of the 4-3, the linebackers inherit the role of playmaker. Much of their job involves flowing through the defense to make tackles. Offenses, naturally, try to counter the defense's strategy and that often means using a lead blocker. There is a technique laden with fundamentals in beating that block. Virginia linebacker coach Vincent Brown helped break down "How to beat a lead block" for the Hoo Preview.
When you look at the linebacker position at Virginia, one thing is instantly obvious. There is a major experience gap. Beyond starting tackling machines Steve Greer and LaRoy Reynolds, no other linebacker on the roster has logged much playing time at all. With that said, let's take a look at the names and faces in the linebacker corps as the Hoo Preview continues.
Daquan Romero took on a new position when he arrived at UVa last season, moving from defensive end in high school to linebacker in college. This fall, Romero switched something else too. His number. Now wearing lucky No. 13, Romero figures into the depth chart at strong-side linebacker where he says he is feeling more comfortable than a year ago. He answered The Sabre's "5 Questions" for the preseason. Stay tuned to the Hoo Preview for the same set of questions for someone from every position on the field.
Football fans have watched the scenario play out many times. Trailing on the scoreboard, an offense begins to march down the field as time dwindles away. A receiver breaks open for a quick-hitter. The fans see it, the quarterback sees it, and, bam, the ball is on the turf. Comeback hopes dashed courtesy of a defensive linemen's hand in the throwing lane. Virginia defensive line coach Jeff Hanson helps break down "How to bat down a pass" for the Hoo Preview.
Consistently winning the battle up front was a big factor in the Virginia football team's turn-around year in 2011. Offensively, the Cavaliers were fourth in the ACC in total offense, averaging almost 400 yards per game. Defensively, UVa was third in the ACC in total defense thanks in part to a veteran defensive line. More often than not, that unit was able to control the line of scrimmage to prevent big plays on the ground. The Cavaliers must replace three out of four starters up front in 2012 so junior defensive end Jake Snyder, the lone returning starter, will be relied upon heavily to keep the unit's momentum going.
Defensive end Billy Schautz made a big impact on Virginia's defense in 2011 as he carved out a niche as a dynamic pass rusher. With experience at linebacker in the previous 3-4 scheme, he gave the staff the added luxury of zone blitzes where he could drop in pass coverage from the line. Schautz answered five preseason questions for TheSabre.com. Stay tuned to the Hoo Preview for the same set of questions for someone from every position on the field.
Virginia's defense took a huge step forward last season and much of the improvement came in the Hoos' defense against the run, led by a big uptick in the play the defensive line. The 2012 season brings new challenges as both the front four linemen and the defensive backfield have to replace veteran performers but things look a little better up front in terms of experience. The Hoo Preview takes a closer look at the D-Line.
When Bill Lazor accepted the job as Virginia's offensive coordinator, he brought with him a pro-style offense based on a physical running attack and timing-based passing routes. Establishing that identity helped the offense climb up the national rankings in total offense the past two years. It also placed a premium on receivers that can execute the details of the aerial attack because mistakes with steps, route depth, or reads can destroy the timing and rhythm of the offense.
A still relatively young group of receivers will take on that task in the absence of Kris Burd and Matt Snyder, a pair of sure route runners that completed their senior seasons in 2011. The Hoo Preview takes a look at the receivers to see who the likely contributors could be in 2012.
Looking at the Virginia roster, there seem to be plenty of shifty speedsters in the receiving corps. Tim Smith, Darius Jennings, and Dominique Terrell all fall into that category. When it comes to a possession-style receiver with a big body, though, the list thins out considerably. That's where sophomore Miles Gooch could make a mark in 2012. Gooch answered The Sabre's "5 Questions" for the preseason. Stay tuned to the Hoo Preview for the same set of questions for someone from every position on the field.
Varina (VA) product and University of Virginia commitment Tim Harris enters the 2012 season as one of the most highly regarded defensive backs in the class of 2013. All four national recruiting sites rank him as a 4-star prospect.
After a week of open practices, it's easy to see the impact that third-year coach Mike London has had on the Virginia football program. There is competition on both sides of the ball and there are athletes all over the field. London has gotten it done on the recruiting trail, bringing elite talent to Charlottesville. One of the crown jewels of London's first recruiting class was former Gilman standout Darius Jennings, who is ready to make a big impact in his sophomore season.
One of the themes that has emerged from both spring and fall camp in 2012 is that the Virginia offense wants to me more explosive this season. From early looks at August practice, receiver is an obvious position where UVa has speed and playmaking ability to potentially produce more explosive plays. That's why Cavalier fans might see an increased use in the wide receiver screen this season. The Hoo Preview takes a look at "How receiver screens work" in this latest article.
The Virginia special teams as a whole were up and down last season. Along the way, the cover and return units provided Cavalier fans with plenty of headaches in 2011 too, especially on punt returns. The entire special teams unit hit a wall in the Chick-fil-A Bowl in Atlanta. The Cavaliers had two punts blocked, sent a kickoff out of bounds, poorly executed a fake field goal, and failed to recover an onside kick. What will special teams look like in 2012? The Hoo Preview takes a look.
The Virginia football team won eight games in 2011, but many of the biggest contributors finished their careers after that run to the Chick-fil-A Bowl. That included all of the kickers, meaning there is plenty of competition this fall for playing time at placekicker and punter. Junior Drew Jarrett is one of the new faces trying to earn a special teams role with the Hoos this season. Jarrett answered The Sabre's "5 Questions" for the preseason. Stay tuned to the Hoo Preview for the same set of questions for someone from every position on the field.
With the heated battle at quarterback and all the experience returning at running back and wide receiver, it is easy to forget about the tight end position. Actually, forgotten would be a good word to describe what has happened to the tight ends in the Cavalier offense. With the focus on three-wide sets and a two-back backfield, the tight end's production has decreased dramatically the past two seasons. Coach Mike London and offensive coordinator Bill Lazor are determined to get the tight ends more involved in the offense in 2012.
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