2008 College Football Preview

Eric Brady | The Roanoke Times

Since the end of the 2007 season, several Virginia players at key positions have left or have been removed from the team. | See a closeup

Virginia

• Virginia to endure survivor series as players go missing
• Winning 2007 season seems like ancient history for Virginia football
• Virginia's schedule

Virginia Tech

• Virginia Tech reloads for 2008 football season
• Macho Harris may double dip this season
• Aaron McFarling: In football, is it chicken or the egg?
• Virginia Tech's schedule

Teams in the area

• Ferrum: Dual quarterbacks on horizon for Ferrum | Ferrum at a glance
• VMI: Fresh start for VMI, coaching vet Woods | VMI at a glance
• Washington & Lee: New digs, schemes for Washington and Lee | W&L at a glance
• Southern Virginia: Schedule could be tougher for Knights | SVU at a glance

The ACC

• ACC suffering from conference inadequacy
• ACC capsules & players to watch
• 10 ACC games to watch
• Staff picks for the season

No discussion of this year’s “sleeper” teams in college football is complete without mention of Texas Tech and its high-powered passing offense.

Nobody is talking about the team that had Texas Tech beaten for 57 minutes last year in the Gator Bowl.

Maybe that’s because the 2007 Virginia football team no longer exists.

The Cavaliers fought their way into title contention by winning eight of nine games after a 23-3 season-opening loss at Wyoming, but this year they are a preseason choice for fifth out of six in the ACC’s Coastal Division.

“Our team continues to labor to get much respect in this conference,” eighth-year Cavalier coach Al Groh said. “All we deal in is reality and reality only becomes apparent the first of December.”

Maybe so, but there is no mistaking the personnel losses the Cavaliers (9-4 overall, 6-2 ACC) have absorbed since the end of the season, including first-round NFL Draft picks Chris Long at defensive end and Branden Albert at offensive tackle.

“There’s a lot of young players on the team that the coaches are really looking forward to coaching,” Groh said. “You know, when Chris Long and Branden Albert were getting ready to start, I don’t recall that there were too many people saying, 'Oh, wow, this is incredible!’

“Now, everybody is wanting to know, 'What are you going to do without these guys?"

Long was named ACC defensive player of the year last season, when the Cavaliers were ranked 16th in Division I-A in scoring defense and 23rd in total defense.

On the other hand, Virginia finished 101st out of 119 Division I-A in total offense. The Cavaliers were 113th in total offense in 2006, their first season with Mike Groh as coordinator.

That was also the first of two seasons with Jameel Sewell as quarterback, and the Cavaliers might have thought Sewell would begin to pay dividends as a junior starter. But he was declared academically ineligible in January.

Added to that was the departure of Albert and two other starters on the offensive line, as well as the loss of tight ends Tom Santi and Jonathan Stupar.

Still, there is guarded optimism regarding the offense. Tailbacks Cedric Peerman and Mikell Simpson combined to rush for 1,155 yards in roughly one half-season apiece, and the Cavaliers welcome back 2006 leading receiver Kevin Ogletree.

Ogletree, who had 52 receptions as a sophomore, suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in the spring of 2007 but was fortunate enough to have a redshirt year at his disposal.

“Really, the Kevin Ogletree rehab story is over,” Groh said in mid-August.

Virginia has plenty of weapons offensively, including 6-foot-6, 250-pound tight end John Phillips from Bath County.

The Cavaliers also have a potential first-round draft pick in 6-6, 315-pound offensive tackle Eugene Monroe, but there is one gaping hole to be filled — at quarterback.

Peter Lalich played in eight games as a true freshman and attempted 61 passes as Sewell’s backup. After the Wyoming debacle, there were even calls for Lalich to replace Sewell, but then the Cavaliers won six games in a row.

Virginia has recruited few quarterbacks in its history with credentials to match Lalich’s, but there have been questions surrounding his commitment and focus. He was charged with underage possession of alcohol this summer and has a string of traffic citations on his record.

His rivals for the starting job are even more inexperienced. Sophomore Marc Verica has no game experience.

Senior Scott Deke took two snaps during mop-up duty against Pittsburgh. Deke was not planning to return for a fifth year until Sewell was lost.

The big question on defense surrounds the defensive line and not only because of Long’s departure. Fellow defensive end Jeff Fitzgerald, who had shown the potential to become a marquee player, was dismissed from school with two years of eligibility remaining.

With two weeks to go before the Cavaliers’ Aug. 30 opener at home against No. 3 Southern Cal, UVa was considering redshirt freshman Matt Conrath to start at one tackle spot. The other starter, 6-7, 270-pound senior Alex Field, has played 228 plays in his career.

That’s a month’s worth for UVa’s three senior linebackers — Jon Copper, Antonio Appleby and preseason All-ACC choice Clint Sintim.

Sintim, whose pass-rushing ability becomes even more critical in Long’s absence, enters his final season with 16 career sacks and 30 tackles for loss.

He was one of Virginia’s two preseason All-ACC picks, along with Monroe.

“Obviously, I have to do my part,” Sintim said, “but I don’t necessarily think he’s [Long] replaceable.”

There are some other story lines this year, including the debut of new defensive coordinator Bob Pruett, a former Marshall head coach who succeeds Mike London, now the head coach at Richmond.

Also, Virginia must replace place-kicker Chris Gould, whose best season came in 2007, when UVa won five games by one or two points.

There was a fine line between winning and losing last year, and maybe that’s why the forecasters have been less than bullish on UVa this year.

UVa was picked behind three teams it defeated last season, including a Miami team it drubbed 48-0 in the Hurricanes’ final game at the Orange Bowl
“I’m not bitter,” Sintim said.

“I understand we’ve lost some guys. We’re in the business of 'what have you done lately?’”