The D-Line: Lookin’ Mighty Fine


In 2003 Chris Canty led all ACC linemen with 95 tackles.

In college football, championship teams stop the run. If you look at the last six BCS champions plus 2003 Associated Press champ Southern California, all but one finished among the nation’s top 15 in rushing defense and four finished among the top six. Miami, which won the title in 2001, is the lone exception. The Hurricanes finished 57th in the nation in run defense. Then again, they were second in pass defense and first in scoring defense. It doesn’t matter how many yards an offense generates if it can’t light up the scoreboard.

But Miami is not the norm. For Virginia this season, stopping the run will be crucial to its chances for a title run in the ACC, a conference laden with talented tailbacks and option quarterbacks.

Since Groh took over the reins of UVa’s football program and installed his 3-4 defense, 14 teams have rushed for over 200 yards against the ‘Hoos. It should come as little surprise that the Cavs lost 12 of those games. In 2001 the Wahoos went 0-6 when allowing 200 or more yards on the ground. They went 2-4 in 2002 and 0-2 in 2003 in those situations.

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