Photos by SAM DEAN The Roanoke Times

Vic Hall, who is currently listed as the No. 1 quarterback for Virginia, prepares to take a snap during Saturday's spring game. Hall directed the offense for the first four series of the game.

The Virginia offensive line prepares for a snap on Saturday afternoon.

Quarterback Jameel Sewell, who missed last season due to academics, drops back to pass on Saturday.

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- Virginia quarterback Jameel Sewell could have predicted what kind of game was in store Saturday when he saw the color of the jersey in front of his locker.

"When I first walked in the locker room and saw I had an orange jersey, I was like, 'Oh my gosh, I can't believe this, orange jerseys again,'" Sewell said. "That's one of the worst feelings you can have."

The orange jerseys that were donned by Virginia's six quarterbacks identified them as players who could not be tackled in the Cavaliers' spring game.

"We've been doing it all spring," Sewell said. "It's absolutely terrible."

UVa's new spread offense accounted for only two touchdowns in a 110-play scrimmage, but there were extenuating circumstances.

Defenders were given credit for sack if they so much as laid a finger on the quarterbacks, nullifying runs by Sewell and starting quarterback Vic Hall that easily could have picked up 15 yards or more.

"I think we all had plays where we would have broken a tackle or they said we were sacked and we weren't sacked," Sewell said. "You've just got to deal with it."

The no-contact provision was the idea of new offensive coordinator Gregg Brandon and may be a sign of the autonomy that head coach Al Groh has given him.

"It's the first time we've done it that way, but I didn't have any difficulty with it." Groh said. "A couple of our coaches were watching the Georgia [spring] game last week and noticed [the Bulldogs'] quarterbacks were not live, so it's probably 50-50 in the country as to how that's done."

Besides, as Groh pointed out, the Cavs will have 29 practices in August when they can evaluate their quarterbacks' running ability. Running quarterbacks aren't frowned upon in Brandon's version of the "spread."

"That's like saying a basketball team would have a guy who's a good 3-point shooter but we'll only let him drive," Groh said. "We'll let each of these players run the game that is best suited for them."

Rising junior Marc Verica, who started nine games last season, completed 14 of 19 passes for a game-high 148 yards and accurately read a blitz before hitting Raynard Horne for the game's lone touchdown pass.

Verica also was intercepted by safety Rodney McLeod, who also blocked a punt and had two tackles for loss.

"This was one of [Verica's] better days today, minus that one bad play, but you can't minus those plays," Groh said. "They count. They can't be discounted."

Sewell, returning from a year's academic suspension, quickly reminded spectators of his ability to run the option.

"Vic is effective with it, too," Groh said. "It's certainly something that both of them will be able to do. When a quarterback has that skill, it puts them in harm's way a lot. To have two players with those diverse skills, it gives us more of a comfort level to let either one of them loose."

Hall was in for the first four series, then Small came on for one series, and then Sewell entered. Five plays later, tailback Mikell Simpson scampered 48 yards for a TD.

Simpson, who missed the last three games of the 2008 season after suffering a fractured collarbone, is looking to regain his form from a 2007 season in which he rushed for 579 yards in the last six games.

In nine games last year, Simpson rushed for 262 yards and saw his receptions drop from 43 to 15.

"Whatever happened between ['07] and ['08], somebody else was playing in that jersey," Groh said. "Mikell's playing much faster than we saw him play last year. There seemed to be an uncertainty and lack of confidence in his cuts last year. No matter what the system is, one-cut running is the most efficient way to run."

Sewell and walk-on quarterback Kyle McCartin both yielded interceptions and there were multiple botched shotgun snaps to the quarterbacks, but Groh was pleased for the most part. He was effusive in his praise for the special teams now handled by Ron Prince, a former UVa offensive coordinator who has returned after three seasons as the head coach at Kansas State.

The defense got blocked punts from McLeod and wide receiver Jared Green. Place-kickers Chris Hinkebein and Robert Randolph were 9-for-10 in a field-goal exhibition before the scrimmage. Randolph later kicked a 46-yarder to end a drive that stalled at the 29.

Notes

Junior deep snapper Danny Aiken, a Cave Spring graduate, did not participate after undergoing oral surgery for the removal of wisdom teeth. Aiken's one-time high school teammate, walk-on linebacker Brady Stovall, was credited with four tackles. ... Redshirt freshman linebacker Billy Schautz, who briefly played quarterback in high school, had a game-high 12 stops. ... Recipients of the Rock Weir Awards as most improved players in the spring were offensive lineman Lamar Milstead and defensive back Dom Joseph. ... First-team defensive backs Chase Minnifield and Corey Mosley had injuries that kept them out of action, mostly as a precaution.