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Mike London’s first game as UVa’s head coach is this weekend. |
The 2010 Cavalier football season kicks off this Saturday, and the team has a clean, undefeated slate at 0-0. This year, the first game of the season means a lot to head coach Mike London and his squad for several different reasons. No player on the current roster has ever won the season opener. The last time Virginia won its season opener was in 2005 against Western Michigan. The Hoos will face another Directional Michigan team this season, but they have a few hurdles to clear first. The very first one will be breaking the season-opener curse.
“I think that [winning the first game] means a lot to us,” senior cornerback and captain Ras-I Dowling said. “Since I’ve been here we haven’t won the first game of the season. I think even a couple of years before that. We haven’t just focused on winning the first game of the season and letting everything fall into place.”
UVa hopes the first victory of the season and of the Mike London era will come at the expense of London’s alma mater and former team, the Richmond Spiders. London played at Richmond and led the Spiders to an FCS National Championship in 2008. Emotions for this game are definitely running high.
“I would not be human if I sat here and said it’s another game. It’s not another game. That’s my alma mater. I spent years there as a coach and a player and I won championships there with that team, and there are coaches on that staff – I have a lot of respect for the coaches and the players, as you said. Dr. Ayers who was here before, the president there, along with Jim [Miller], he gave me an opportunity and I’m forever grateful for that,” London said. “But as things happen sometimes, opportunities and doors open that you take the most of an opportunity, and now I’m here wearing the orange and blue. So my priorities now are to the University of Virginia and make sure we are ready to play and hopefully coincide with the captains wanting to do, as our first goal, which is to hopefully win a home opener.”
Raynard Rising
One of the early breakout stories this season is senior tailback Raynard Horne . After mostly serving on special teams the past three years, Horne has finally cracked the two-deep on the depth chart at running back. As of Monday, the chart reads “Perry Jones OR Raynard Horne ” at the starting spot. His ascendancy came as a surprise to everyone in the pressroom at the John Paul Jones Arena; everyone, that is, except Horne’s teammates and coaches.
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Raynard Horne joins Perry Jones on the depth chart at running back and kick return. |
“I mean, I don’t know if that really surprised me too much,” senior quarterback Marc Verica said. “Anyone that’s been in this program, especially guys that are in Raynard’s class like myself, it was never a secret as to what Raynard’s ability was. There was never any doubt; ever since he’s been here he was unquestionably the most athletic person on the team, just raw ability, speed, and strength, and size. It was just a matter of him just fitting in, buying in, and living up to his potential. He has a great opportunity this season. He’s definitely going to get a lot of carries and be productive.”
Horne had to really step his game up this offseason, both on and off the field, to start living up to that potential. After all, entering the 2010 season Horne has five carries in his career for a grand total of 12 yards and 19 receptions for 27 yards. He’s barely made a ripple in the running back races of the past and even moved to receiver during last season’s failed spread experiment. Still, Horne’s athletic ability can’t be denied – that much has been evident on special teams where he received the team’s George Welsh Special Teams Award in 2008 in addition to being the team’s special teams player of the game against Georgia Tech in 2009. At 6’0″, 210 pounds, he’s big and fast with good ball skills.
Coach London seconded Verica’s opinion of the Maryland tailback.
“I’m going to put the ball in his hands, obviously on the kickoff returns. He’s done things in practice and in scrimmages that, you know, have made you take a double-take,” London said. “Anthony Poindexter, the special teams coordinator said a couple of years ago that he was the MVP. We are looking for that competitor, that guy, and thankfully for us he showed up here during the summer and during the early part of August.”
So while a lot has been said about the younger players on the roster, don’t count out the older guys! Horne and other players like John-Kevin Dolce are all looking to make a large impact during their senior season.
John-Kevin Dolce – Man of Steel
2010 is not only a season ripe for new talent to emerge, but for older players to step up with new opportunities and showcase their abilities. One such old hat is senior defensive tackle John-Kevin Dolce . Dolce has been bounced around quite a bit during his career as a Cavalier. He has spent time on special teams and at linebacker, before finally settling in at defensive tackle. He has risen to the starting position and currently sits above veteran defensive lineman Matt Conrath on the depth chart. Although some might consider Dolce a bit undersized for a lineman at his listed 250 pounds (he says he plans to play at 256 this weekend), don’t let his size fool you.
“He’s probably – pound for pound he’s probably one of the strongest guys on our team. Just ask him if you want to,” Coach London said. “He’s done a great job of, you know, playing on the edge and the things that Coach Hanson has taught him, he can use his hands well and he is an up the field, aggressive kind of guy, and so we’ll be excited to see how that can transition into him actually playing against another opponent.”
Teammate Nick Jenkins was also quick to laud Dolce’s abilities in the weight room: “Yes, he’s a strong boy. You guys will see in a few minutes that he’s a big, strong boy.”
Jenkins and Dolce often compete with each other in feats of strength, and overall they’re pretty evenly matched. “We all do a lot of work in the weight room,” Dolce said. “He probably has the stronger squat and I take the bench.”
In case you’re wondering, Dolce can bench 485 pounds. That’s freakishly strong.
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Michael Rocco shares a spot on the depth chart at QB. |
Back-up Battle Royal
Another important development on the depth chart has occurred at the back-up QB position. Virginia entered fall camp with redshirt freshman Ross Metheny and true freshman Michael Strauss competing for the back-up job behind senior Marc Verica . Monday, Coach London Tweeted that Metheny and true freshman Michael Rocco were listed on the depth chart as back-up quarterbacks (again, London utilized the “OR” option, leaving the issue open-ended). So where does this leave Michael Strauss in the equation?
“I think Michael is still in a learning process here. The competition has made everyone have to step their game up a little bit,” London said. “But after a while, you can’t give three back-up quarterbacks reps in practice. You’ve got to start fine-tuning what’s going on, and right now, with Ross Metheny and Michael Rocco, those are the guys. After this week’s practice or next week’s game, the open week, it may alter a bit, so those guys are all on notice about being able to perform.”
In other words, Strauss isn’t completely out of the picture, because the picture hasn’t fully developed yet. The only thing for certain is that true freshman Miles Gooch will be this year’s scout team quarterback, though he may bounce around to other scout positions to simulate opponent’s dangerous athletes.
Two Talented Linebackers, Only One Spot
The position battle between Aaron Taliaferro and Steve Greer was discussed in this month’s Hoo Preview, and the competition continues. The ubiquitous “OR” shows up again at the middle linebacker position on this week’s depth chart. It is shaping up to be a game-time decision, as both players continue to push each other on the practice field.
“Aaron [Taliaferro] has done a nice job. Unfortunately, you know, Steve [Greer] got hurt during spring practice, but as Steve started coming back, you started to see why he played a lot and why he made a lot of tackles, because Steve is a very smart player. He’s like the quarterback on offense, the defense; he calls the fronts and makes the adjustments and a lot of times it affects the secondary and what they are doing,” London said. “So actually, he’s made the competition at that position, you know, much more fierce, because now Aaron knows that he’s got to be on his Ps and Qs. It’s a good position to be in. I’m quite sure for both of them that no one has anything over one of them; we need both of them to play.”
Expect to see both Taliaferro and Greer on the field this Saturday, taking the competition to the in-game environment.
Worth Noting
- Raynard Horne and Perry Jones will also be sharing time on the kickoff duties this Saturday.
- Virginia will face a (somewhat) familiar home-opener foe in Richmond QB Aaron Corp. Corp saw limited time against the Cavaliers in 2008 as a back-up quarterback for Southern California.
- The last time the Cavaliers faced Richmond was in 2008 when Mike London was their head coach and the Spiders went on to win an FCS National Championship.
- Fan favorite Morgan Moses is on the two-deep depth chart behind starting right tackle Oday Aboushi .
Worth Quoting
“We’re just humble and hungry right now. Just waiting to get out there and perform. The last time we really suited up and played another team was Virginia Tech last year, so it’s been a while just working out, then spring ball, then working out, then getting into camp. Now Saturday, we get to face an opponent.” – Ras-I Dowling
“Not just being a captain, but being a member of the football team you have to go around Grounds and in the McCue Center, just go around treating people with respect. You have to carry yourself in a manner where you understand that people are watching you and you are going to be a role model.” – John-Kevin Dolce
“The TV show’s angle can be kind of slanted at times. It may not be the most natural or realistic scenarios going on. I try to provide whatever insight or experience I can to the younger guys. They also do the same for me. It’s kind of like a give and take relationship. That might sound strange but there are definitely things a fifth-year guy can learn from an incoming freshman. It’s not like just because I’m the fifth-year guy, the starter, the captain I’m up on a pedestal. I’m right down on the ground with those guys seeing eye to eye, so I think that helps our relationship.” – Marc Verica on the relationship between the quarterbacks.
“The most I’ve been is 262 and I plan on going into the game this weekend at 256. I think I’ll be able to play well at that weight, whether it’s speed and keeping up the strength. Coach Hourigan has done a great job with me and the other guys on the team, keeping us lower. Now that we’re in the 4-3, on the defensive line we don’t necessarily need to be as big. Guys have lost weight, and guys have picked up some speed.” – John-Kevin Dolce on his personal development in the weight room.
“As far as me? No, still the night before, Nervous Nelly, all the stuff like that, stay up till one o’clock, watch SportsCenter, drive my wife nuts and stuff like that.” – Mike London on his personal approach to the day before gameday.
