UVa’s Jim Reid said that third down success is one of the biggest keys to defense.

When comparing the past two seasons at Virginia, one of the top storylines in the 8-5 bowl run of 2011 proved to be the defense’s improvement. In the second season of a 4-3 alignment with Defensive Coordinator Jim Reid, the Cavaliers played the run better and created more disruption behind the line of scrimmage. Another key development? Third down defense.

In 2010, the Cavaliers allowed opponents to convert 42% of the time on third down (69 of 166). In 2011, that number improved to 33% (64 of 192). Last season’s percentage placed Virginia second in the ACC behind only Virginia Tech; the Hoos led the category in conference-only games. The Cavs ranked 15th nationally in the category.

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