Did you expect Wali Lundy to become a feature back and move into the ACC rushing lead? Did you expect the Cavaliers
to struggle if they had to rely on a backup quarterback? Did you expect big things from Chris Canty and Ahmad Brooks ?
Well congratulations, Miss Cleo. So did I. Here are the real surprises I’ve encountered so far this season in Virginia
football:
Honorable mention: The Cavaliers, as a team, spitting the bit at South Carolina; The defense picking up where it
left off at the end of last season; D’Brickashaw Ferguson stonewalling Jason Babin, Western Michigan’s all-American
pass rusher; Mountains no longer being visible from Scott Stadium, contrary to last week’s column.
5. Tom Hagan struggling to improve
You can’t really measure punters solely by their averages. Circumstances – such as field position – often
dictate that they aim for pylons instead of just rearing back and kicking the ball, and the whole point of an average is
to lump every circumstance together. And in truth, Hagan has excelled at dropping the ball inside the 20 – or even the
10 a handful of times.
But when it comes rearing back and kicking the ball, the sophomore has been a disappointment. His grain-of-salt
average is 36.3 yards – four-tenths of a yard shorter than last season and the worst average of any eligible punter in
the ACC. More important than the raw numbers, Al Groh acknowledges his punter needs to make his drops more consistent,
which should lead to better deep punts.
4. The running game picking up the slack with Matt Schaub out
It was obvious when Schaub went down that the Cavaliers would run the ball more often. Their rushing yards per game
almost certainly would increase, and sure enough, Virginia sits second in the ACC at 172.5. But not only are the totals
better, but the yards-per-carry average is up as well, from 3.7 last season to 4.3 so far this year.
Going into the season, the Cavaliers had every reason to hope for that kind of improvement. Lundy and each of the
four returning starters on the offensive line – plus the two returning tight ends – were a year older and more
experienced. It looked good on paper, and it’s translated pleasingly well so far to the field.
3. Connor Hughes making placekicking a strength
Hughes has made it easy to forget how chaotic Virginia’s kicking game was at this time last year. I mean, the
argument can be made – just try me – that the Cavaliers lost at Georgia Tech last season almost entirely because
their kickers were so unreliable that Groh refused to attempt any field goals after the first one went horribly awry.
But after taking over from Smitty A and Smitty B for the final five games last season, Hughes is 7-for-7 on field goals
this season.
Last weekend, of course, he was the most prominent of several heroes for Virginia, tying the game with two minutes
left on a 53-yarder – with room to spare – and winning the game with 10 seconds left on a 38-yarder.
"Some people don’t think the offseason strength program means a lot to kickers, [that] it’s just the
linebackers and guards," Groh said after the game. "But they’re in it with everybody else, and his strength
level’s improved, too. I don’t know that he could have made that one last year, but he certainly has more than
enough strength to make it now."
2. The cornerbacks becoming a formidable quartet
Two years ago Muffin Curry and Jamaine Winborne were in over their heads. Learning on the job, shall we say. Virginia
had no one else to play cornerback, so in they went, despite being sophomores with little college experience. Now they’re
seniors, two of the team’s best players, two of the best cornerbacks in the ACC.
"It just shows what life on the corner is and how much repetition and experience helps," Groh said.
"These are two kids who struggled with it at this time two years ago. Not because of lack of want-to or ability,
just exposure to it. Now they’re really at home."
Nickel back Marcus Hamilton and dime back Tony Franklin – both redshirt freshmen – have settled in nicely behind
Curry and Winborne. The Virginia defense is first in the ACC in opponents’ completion percentage (47.4) and second in
yards allowed per pass attempt (5.96).
1. Art Thomas doing some things at wide receiver
Who are Virginia’s leading receivers this season? Okay, I’ll spot you Heath Miller. That one’s easy. But who’s
number two? Not Ottowa Anderson or Ryan Sawyer. If you guessed Art Thomas – and surely you did, since he’s the
subject of the above heading – you’re right!
In his four games as a wide receiver, Thomas has nine catches for 122 yards and a touchdown. Granted, seven of those
catches came in one game (Wake Forest), but that performance could be an indication of things to come, especially with
Schaub poised to jump-start Virginia’s passing game. The Cavaliers will certainly need his help, with Marques Hagans
back at quarterback, at least for now. Thomas has shown signs of being able to answer that call.
Send feedback to [email protected].
Each e-mail gets a free reply from me! (Well, provided I have something to say to you.)
