CHARLOTTESVILLE -- Reports of Virginia's quarterback availability on Sunday were much exaggerated.

Quarterbacks Scott Deke, Marc Verica and Peter Lalich signed autographs and mingled with fans at UVa's annual Meet the Team Day, but only Deke addressed the media and he didn't take any questions.

Deke said the UVa quarterbacks hadn't done anything on field worth talking about, "so I think it's in our best interest to stick to ourselves and keep working to do what's best for our team."

"We're looking forward to coming out here today and enjoying this media day and meeting all the fans, and it's really something that's a lot of fun for all of us. We're really thankful and blessed with a beautiful day here in Charlottesville.

"We're looking forward to it and everyone please come out and support us on the 30th to see those [Southern California] Trojans come in. So, thank you very much."

Teammates continued to talk to the media, but none were Deke's fellow quarterbacks. The weather didn't even hold up, with lightning eventually causing evacuation of the stadium with 15 minutes remaining in an autograph session.

It may be true that Deke, a fifth-year senior, and Verica, a third-year junior, haven't done much on the field. Verica has not played in a college game and Deke has been limited to two snaps at the end of a 44-14 victory over Pittsburgh.

Lalich, on the other hand, played in eight games last year and attempted 61 passes. However, there has been little discussion of Lalich or his status since he was charged with underage possession of alcohol July 13.

Head coach Al Groh said earlier this week that the matter had been addressed internally.

Two other players, including starting offensive tackle Will Barker, were charged with alcohol-related offenses July 26 following an incident at a Charlottesville after-hours club.

"Honestly, I've moved on from that," said Barker, declining to talk about off-field matters. "It's not even an issue. I'm focused on football now. It's not something I'm talking about."

Media had been advised at an open practice Saturday that neither Groh nor the quarterbacks would talk until Sunday. Groh met with reporters for approximately an hour Sunday before a team photo session that preceded the Meet the Team Day events.

On the subject of the quarterbacks, Groh was most expansive when asked for a timetable for naming a starter. Less than three weeks remain until Southern Cal comes to Scott Stadium.

"We're not keeping a daily scorecard on them," Groh said. "We're looking for a body of work and to give everybody plenty of opportunities. Unless something dramatic happens right away, it's appropriate not to make a quick decision."

If the decision were obvious, it would make sense to inform the chosen starter, "but the most important thing is for the team to have the right quarterback in there," Groh said.

"That's only really proven with quarterbacks when they play in a game, and we don't have any games to play. It might take some games to find out who the one quarterback is, or who the two are."

Coincidentally, Southern Cal faces some uncertainty over its quarterback situation after learning that likely starter Mark Sanchez had suffered a dislocated kneecap and could be sidelined for four weeks.

"It's like one of our coaches said about another of their positions," Groh said. "They just replace an All-American with a potential All-American that nobody's heard of."

The closest thing to a Cavalier expert on the subject is senior offensive tackle Eugene Monroe, who did not miss a game after suffering a dislocated kneecap in the spring of 2006 but was not right until midway through the next season.

"I haven't heard any of the [Sanchez] details," said Monroe, who did not require surgery, "but my experience is that it takes a few months."