Hoo Preview 2013: Take 5

Take 5

5 Reasons To Hope

1. Kevin Parks . The rising junior running back remained productive last season even as the offensive line struggled with consistency. Parks has rushed for more than 700 yards in each of his first two seasons to own a current career total of 1,443 yards. With 312 carries, that means he has averaged a healthy 4.6 yards per carry in his career. Parks also has scored 14 touchdowns so far.

2. New Coaches, New Schemes? The offseason saw the additions of Tom O’Brien, Steve Fairchild, Jon Tenuta, and Larry Lewis. Those coaches bring a ton of Football Bowl Subdivision experience to the table. Fairchild, Tenuta, and Lewis take over as the coordinators for offense, defense, and special teams respectively. There is reason to hope that the changes will inject some development and improvement in a team that is building its talent pool.

DreQuan Hoskey , Maurice Canady , Brandon Phelps , and Rijo Walker have all seen significant time on the field already so this group should be solid all year long.

4. Proven Playmakers. In addition to Parks, the Cavaliers have several other offensive weapons that have shown an ability to produce. Tight end Jake McGee pulled in two game-winning touchdown catches last season, which helped him tie Darius Jennings for the team lead with 5 TDs. Tim Smith is a deep ball threat and Dominique Terrell really started to find his stride as an underneath threat late last season. With that many potential playmakers back for at least their third year of substantial playing time, the offense has a chance to turn some heads in 2013.

5. Home Games. The Hoos have 8 – yes 8! – home games this season, which sets them up for a potential bowl season. After all over the past 26 seasons UVa’s home record stands at 115-45, a 72% winning percentage.

5 Reasons To Mope

1. Offensive Line Questions. The Cavaliers shuffled and retooled the offensive line in the spring to the extent that no one is expected to start in the same position from 2012. Morgan Moses moved from right tackle to left tackle and Luke Bowanko moved from center to left guard; neither player has played regularly on that side of the line before. Sean Cascarano is likely out for good with a hip injury. Conner Davis is now at right guard after playing on the left side a year ago. The starting center job isn’t real clear right now. And on and on it goes. The questions surrounding the O-Line are definitely concerning.

2. New Coaches, New Schemes? With all new coordinators manning the office at the McCue Center, there is a learning curve going on among the players this offseason. Can everyone get on board with the new schemes well enough and fast enough for 2013 to be a success? There’s no way to know for sure until the season unfolds.

3. Inexperienced QB. David Watford has been named the starting quarterback for Virginia, but he has never started a college game. In 10 appearances as a true freshman in 2011, he attempted just 74 passes (40.5% completion percentage) and threw more interceptions (4) than touchdowns (3).

4. Defensive Line Depth. The Cavaliers continue to add some outstanding high school players to the fold on the defensive line, but there are still some concerns about the depth for the unit. At defensive tackle in particular, only Brent Urban has ever started a game. The second most experienced player is David Dean , who has made just 3 tackles in 11 games. Everyone else on the depth chart will be in the rotation for the first time.

5. The Schedule. While UVa boasts 8 home games on the schedule, it will face significant challenges all season long. BYU, Ball State, and Oregon – all bowl teams in 2012 – are part of the non-conference slate, while division favorites Miami and Clemson are both on the docket too.

5 Hoos To Note

1. Demetrious Nicholson . Virginia fans don’t need the reminder about Nicholson, but he is one of the key pieces for the defense. Over his first two seasons, Nicholson has started all 25 games and has played 97% of UVa’s defensive snaps. Coach Tenuta’s scheme will need Nicholson and his fellow corners to play well.

2. Mike Moore. With starting ends Jake Snyder and Eli Harold both back from 2012, it can be easy to forget about Moore as he enters his sophomore season. That could be a big mistake as he figures to be a major contributor in 2013. Moore began to emerge over the second half of last season and he has had a very good training camp to date.

3. Luke Bowanko . One of the most experienced players on the roster, Bowanko has started 25 straight times for the Hoos. Entering his fifth season in Charlottesville, Bowanko is expected to help out with line calls even as he moves from center to left guard. Bowanko and Morgan Moses put together a solid season on the right side of the line in 2011 and their reunion on the left side of the line in 2013 could be a boost for the offense.

4. Darius Jennings . Despite converting from quarterback in high school to receiver in college and despite two good seasons at UVa, Jennings is still a bit overlooked among Wahoo fans. He led the team in receiving yards last season with 568 and tied for the team lead in touchdowns with 5. Plus, he finished second in receptions with 48. Now entering the veteran phase of his career as a junior, look for Jennings to make a big impact for Steve Fairchild’s offense.

5. Henry Coley . Middle linebacker Steve Greer led Virginia in tackles in three of the last four years so naturally plenty of eyes will be on his replacement this fall. Coley started 8 games last fall at outside linebacker, but moved back to his original home in the middle this spring. Coley has made 55 tackles in his career to date.

5 Hoos To Quote

1. Morgan Moses. Moses has emerged as one of the key spokesmen for this year’s team, but that’s not surprising. As a senior with 36 career games under his belt, Moses is on the preseason watch lists for the Outland Trophy and the Lombardi Award. Always smiling during interviews, he’ll be quoted plenty in 2013

2. Jake McGee . As one of the team’s top returning playmakers, McGee is one of the top requests for interviews. He bulked up in the offseason to be able to play more as an every-down tight end and that means more chances to make plays for the Richmond native.

3. Eli Harold . Although he’s just a sophomore, Eli Harold is one of the most recognizable players for the Hoos. He’s been talking up Jon Tenuta’s new defense all spring and summer so expect him to be a major playmaker and an often-quoted Hoo this season.

4. Taquan “Smoke” Mizzell. He’s a true freshman, but if you believe in the “it” factor or things like “star quality,” then you have to think Mizzell will make an impact for the Hoos in 2013. The first 5-star recruit to come to UVa since Eugene Monroe , Mizzell will get a shot to contribute on offense (runs and receptions) and special teams (returner). If he delivers, he’ll be interviewed a lot this fall.

5. Anthony Harris . The junior safety has emerged this offseason as one of the defensive leaders due to his production and his knowledge of the game. Harris produced 87 tackles and 1 INT last season and is the leading returning tackler on the squad. Meanwhile, everyone from the coaches to the players speaks highly of Harris’ football acumen. Expect Harris to be a go-to request for reporters this season.

5 Stats To Know

1. -1.17. “The Cavaliers ranked 11th in the ACC in 2011 in turnover margin at -0.7. The offense committed 28 turnovers with 12 fumbles and 16 interceptions. With a less experienced defense to help cover up those mistakes, that’s a number that must drop dramatically for the offense. Otherwise, there are going to be a lot of game day headaches for the UVa coaches and fans.” That’s from last season’s “Stats To Know” section. Well, nothing changed in 2012. One year after it tied for 97th nationally, Virginia tied for 110th nationally in turnover margin last season with -1.17 turnovers per game. If this program is going to win more consistently, it must figure out the turnover issue on both sides of the ball.

2. 3.87 yards per punt return. Turnovers have caused problems for the program, but so has the play of the special teams. In the return categories in particular, the Hoos have struggled. Last season, UVa averaged just 3.87 yards per punt return (111th nationally) and 20.95 yards per kickoff return (73rd nationally).

3. 208.42 passing yards per game. Fans may not realize it, but Virginia’s pass defense finished well in 2012. The Hoos allowed 208.42 passing yards per game last fall, a number that ranked 33rd in the nation. UVa can improve on its passing touchdowns allowed (23, tied for 77th nationally) and interceptions (4, tied for 118th nationally) from a year ago, though.

4. 22.75 points per game. The offense averaged just 22.75 points per game in 2012, which ranked 93rd in the country. UVa’s highest ranking from 2006-2012 in points per game? 75th in 2010 when the Hoos averaged 25.33 points per game. The last time the program cracked the top 50 in this category was 2004 when Virginia tied for 27th nationally with 30.25 points per game.

5. 15 pass break-ups. Cornerback Demetrious Nicholson tied for the ACC lead in 2012 with 15 pass break-ups. He has 23 PBUs in his career to date.

5 Stats To Stow

2. 30 sacks allowed. BYU, Virginia’s opening opponent, gave up 30 sacks in 13 games last season, an average of 2.31 sacks per game. That tied for 90th in the nation. Rest assured, Jon Tenuta’s aggressive defense will be getting after the quarterback on Aug. 31.

5. 339.2 yards per game. The ACC’s leader in total offense last season was Clemson quarterback Tajh Boyd , who averaged 339.2 yards per game. He tallied 3,896 passing yards and 514 rushing yards last season as the Tigers finished 11-2 with a Chick-Fil-A Bowl win over LSU. Boyd and Clemson visit Scott Stadium on Nov. 2.