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Luke Bowanko is expected to move back to guard. |
Readers following the “Summer Reading” series on TheSabre.com have seen a recurring caveat among the articles on the offense at Virginia. The receivers, tight ends, running backs, and quarterbacks all seem to have enough talent and enough depth to make an impact in 2013 … and then comes the disclaimer … if the offensive line can improve its performance and consistency from 2012.
Really, the ifs are numerous when it comes to the O-Line:
- If the unit avoids any key injuries …
- If inexperience overall doesn’t create too many issues …
- If someone secures the right guard position and plays well …
- If the center position, currently led by redshirt freshman walk-on Jackson Matteo , quickly learns the ropes …
- If the run blocking improves …
- If the team can move the chains in short yardage situations …
- If blitzes and stunts/twists by opposing defensive lines don’t cause as many communication breakdowns …
You get the picture. The offensive line has a lot to prove in 2013.
Last season, the run blocking never took on the physicality and toughness that coach Mike London wants. As a result, the running game proved inconsistent, the Hoos floundered in short yardage situations, and the offense never firmly developed a play-action attack off the shaky running foundation. Pass protection suffered when opponents threw wrinkles into the defensive line scheme or sent blitzes because the offensive line couldn’t get the pass-offs done on a regular basis. From early in the schedule, teams really attacked the middle of the O-Line where the guard positions were a rotating cast of names and Luke Bowanko was learning on the job as a center.
With Oday Aboushi now with the New York Jets, the line also has an experienced hole to fill beyond the other concerns. The coaching staff spent the spring practices shuffling the deck up front in an effort to get the right mix on the field. As a result, the expected depth chart entering preseason practice does not feature a single starter at the same position as the lineup that took the field at Virginia Tech in November.
Let’s look at the offensive line.
Veterans
The discussion starts with Morgan Moses, who enters his senior campaign at Virginia. Moses moved from right tackle to left tackle this offseason with Aboushi now in the NFL. That means Moses will be responsible for the blind side of UVa’s starting quarterback (all the starting candidates are righties) this season.
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Morgan Moses is at left tackle for his senior season. |
The 6’6″, 335-pound Richmond native has earned a lot of recognition in his time at UVa. He made Phil Steele’s fourth-team freshman All-American team in 2010 and Phil Steel’s third-team All-ACC list in 2011. Last season, Moses got honorable mention All-ACC notice from the league’s coaches. Entering his final year in the orange and blue, Moses has been named to the Outland Trophy Watch List and the Lombardi Award Watch List for the second straight season. He has 31 starts to his credit as a Cavalier.
While the line struggled with consistency in 2012 and fans spotted tackle breakdowns along the way, I never got the sense that Moses was truly underperforming last season. In watching games and listening to coaches discuss his play, Moses had a solid though not spectacular season. That’s what everyone – Moses, coaches, and fans – is looking for in 2013, though. Spectacular. Moses has the tools to make that happen even with the flip to the left side. His biggest challenge continues to be footwork coming out of his stance, particularly against speed rushers. His best attribute is his ability to lock in and finish off blocks once engaged.
One thing that may help Moses is the location of Luke Bowanko , who has started 25 straight games for UVa. A senior as well, Bowanko and Moses teamed up on the right side during Virginia’s 2011 bowl season. Now, they’ll be reunited on the left side of the line instead. That’s because the 6’6″, 295-pound Bowanko is expected to start at left guard after playing last year at the center spot. The idea is to put the two most experienced linemen (and two that already have played side by side during the most successful season of recent years) on the same side to provide a point of strength for the rest of the line to build behind.
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Bowanko’s best season certainly came in a guard spot. It plays to his best strengths as a run blocker because he seems to pull and lead block better from there than at center. Keep in mind that some of Bowanko’s center duties are potentially making the trip to left guard with him. What I mean by that is Bowanko could still be making pre-snap calls and blocking adjustments at times from the guard position to take some pressure off of the new center. Coach London has referenced Elton Brown doing that type of thing in the past as a guard at Virginia.
The remaining senior among the offensive linemen is Sean Cascarano , who has been an all-purpose player up front during his time at UVa. After opening his career as a reserve tackle, Cascarano started 12 times last season on the interior. In fact, the 6’6″, 280-pounder ended the spring as the only player still in the same starting position on the depth chart as the end of the 2012 season at VT. Why did I say that all the O-Line positions could have a new starter above, then? Despite his spot on the depth chart, Cascarano is reportedly having hip issues that may prevent him from playing in 2013. Even though he struggled at times last year, that would mean UVa is losing its experienced utility knife up front and that could be an issue for a unit still building depth and chemistry.
Breakout Potential
I’m going with Jay Whitmire in this spot. A starting tackle position is up for grabs and Whitmire exited spring practice as the leader in the clubhouse to open the season at right tackle. At 6’6″ and 295 pounds, he has the size to hold his own on the exterior. He is also repeatedly referred to by teammates as a freak of an athlete who is explosive enough to easily dunk a basketball.
Whitmire also is entering the stage of his career where linemen often start to turn the proverbial corner. He redshirted in 2011, but earned a scout team player of the week honor before the win at FSU. Last season, he logged time in all 12 games. That included appearances on offense in 10 of the 12 contests. Entering his third season in the program with some talented tackle prospects on the way to Charlottesville in the incoming class, it’s time for Whitmire to carve out a niche or he could risk falling out of contention a year from now.
Of course, Whitmire entered UVa with some decent recruiting buzz as well. He ranked No. 11 in the state on Chris Horne’s postseason top 40 for the 2011 recruiting class. He picked up 3 stars from Rivals.com and Scout.com. JHoo considered him the headliner of that four-man offensive line class that included Tim Cwalina , Kelby Johnson , and Ross Burbank (on a side note, if you wonder why offensive line recruiting remains a premium concern for future years, just re-read that list – Cwalina and Johnson are no longer on the football roster and Burbank is in danger of being passed over). Whitmire chose UVa over offers from Boston College, Duke, Maryland, UNC, Notre Dame, and Pittsburgh among others so he could have a chance to show something to quite a few future opponents that recruited him.
Depth Chart
The depth chart discussion needs to open with one of the key questions for the whole line: center. With Bowanko swinging out to left guard, it means the Virginia will be fielding a new starter center for the second straight season. That means an development period is needed for the line to reboot with a new man in the middle calling a lot of the pre-snap reads and adjustments.
As mentioned above, however, UVa hopes to curtail some of that learning curve with Bowanko assisting on the calls. The rest will fall to either Jackson Matteo or Ross Burbank , who sit atop the post-spring depth chart. Matteo came out of nowhere to take over the No. 1 spot on that list. The walk-on redshirted last season after passing on a scholarship at Temple. Listed at 6’5″, 260 pounds on that release, Matteo is believed to be closer to 290 pounds after his redshirt season. London said after spring practice that Matteo “did a great job with off-the-field things as far as lifting, studying the position, and then on the field with executing” to climb the depth chart.
Burbank, meanwhile, has shuffled between guard and center for much of the past year. In spring practice of 2012, Burbank and Matt Mihalik battled at the center spot while Bowanko rehabbed a shoulder injury. Neither Burbank nor Mihalik took strong control of the position in the spring and the coaches weren’t sure that either was the answer in the middle. As a result, they moved Bowanko to center last fall where he started all 12 games. Burbank then flipped out to right guard where he shared time throughout the season, but never earned a starting nod. After this spring’s practices, he’s back at center but at No. 2 on the depth chart. Burbank looks good at times, but apparently consistency is an issue.
Regardless of the eventual starter in this spot, the Hoos are trying to set up a long-term plan at center, a factor that was not in place for the new coaches when London first took the helm. Matteo is a redshirt freshman, while Burbank is a redshirt sophomore.
Beyond center, the other starting position that is uncertain is right guard. As mentioned above, Cascarano could be unavailable due to hip issues, meaning that 6’5″, 300-pound Conner Davis may be in place to start. He is listed second on the post-spring depth chart. Davis actually started 11 of 12 games in 2012, but that experience came at left guard. In 2011, Davis saw action in four games. In 2010, he redshirted. Davis battled some injury and inconsistency issues last season as well.
Other options on the depth chart include 6’6″, 270-pound redshirt freshman Michael Mooney (backing up Moses currently), 6’5″, 310-pound redshirt freshman Ryan Doull (backing up Bowanko currently), 6’6″, 290-pound redshirt freshman Sean Karl (third at right guard currently), and 6’4″, 295-pound junior Cody Wallace (backing up Whitmire currently). Keep an eye on Doull and Karl in particular. If some of the holdovers from 2012 don’t show much progress at right guard early in August, they could get a look in that spot. Doull had a strong spring.
Final Word
All the schedule analysis, the quarterback debate, the weapons at the skill positions … all of that could be white noise when it comes to 2013 results for Virginia’s offense. Much of what happens in the coming months will depend heavily on the front five. Certainly the play of the offensive line is a major factor in any season for any offense, but with so many other positions in good shape for 2013, this appears to be the most critical storyline for the Hoos.
I suspect Virginia will get great veteran leadership from Moses and Bowanko. I think the left side of the line will be a strong point for the offense, while I expect Whitmire to make a solid debut at right tackle. The key appears to be at center and right guard, especially with Cascarano’s availability a major question mark.
Bottom line time. If UVa’s O-Line can answer any of those ifs in the introduction with positive results, then this season could take on a whole new feel for the Cavaliers. On the other hand, if the ifs remain unsolved problems, then this year could become another frustrating campaign for the Hoos, which would set up a make-or-break year for London in 2014.
