With only three weeks left until the beginning of fall practice, Virginia head coach Al Groh and staff are beginning
to kick their preparation for the 2004 season into high gear. After witnessing plenty of improvement during spring
practice, the staff can’t wait to see their full array of players when the season officially kicks off. With several
Cavaliers changing positions, and in some instances changing sides of the ball, Virginia fans will see names at strange
places on the depth chart come August. With that in mind, this series of articles will take a look at the depth at every
unit on offense, defense and special teams.

There is no question that one of the glaring weaknesses on the 2002 version of the Cavaliers offense was a running
game that only produced 3.7 yards a carry, the third worst in the ACC. While the passing game finished an impressive
fourth in the league, it wasn’t enough to pull Virginia’s total offense from the bottom of the league.

This ineptitude in the statistical columns, which Groh will tell you isn’t everything in football, came largely
because of an inexperienced offensive line that was decimated by injuries over the course of the year. With the
experience gained at the end of last season and offseason workouts with new strength and conditioning coach Evan Marcus,
plus the return of a couple of injured upperclassmen, the Cavaliers offensive line should be much more productive this
season. As a result, there will be a ripple effect that will affect every unit on offense for the better.

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