Andrew Pearman and the Hoos need to take advantage of any kickoff returns this week.

Special teams rule No. 1 this week: Avoid Brandon Tate. The North Carolina junior is dangerous and can change the game in the return categories if you let him. Doubt it? He’s already UNC’s career record holder for kickoff returns for touchdowns. UVa needs to prevent him from becoming a factor this weekend and it looks like a different cast of characters may get to tackle that daunting task since the Hoos have retooled the special teams this week.

And why wouldn’t they? After a very sluggish showing against Duke on special teams, the coaches weren’t going to wait on an encore. Instead, they shuffled some personnel and tinkered with the units.

“Special teams has undergone a little bit of a retooling so we might be able to use the services of some other players who can give us something here this week,” Groh said Thursday. “We clearly thought that all six of [the special teams’ units] really gave us less than what we need to have. Clearly field goal, we got one blocked and we got a penalty. The field goal block was a little bit innocuous. Kickoff coverage, we had some balls returned farther than is the norm. Kickoff return, we clearly didn’t accomplish what we’re often able to do. Punt speaks for itself. Punt return … was a pretty positive element in the game.”

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