Associated Press

North Carolina coach Butch Davis reacts during a timeout against Georgia Tech last week. The Heels lost their first game.

When Virginia won seven straight football games during a 2007 Gator Bowl season, the Cavaliers were hailed as a team that found ways to win.

Now, the Cavaliers can't win for losing.

One week, they're victimized by seven turnovers. Another week, they give up 205 return yards in one quarter.

If there's a winner's mentality, the 2007 team had it. The 2008 team had it for a while, winning four consecutive games.

Since then, it's been all famine. The Cavaliers ended the 2008 season with four straight losses and take an 0-3 record to North Carolina's Kenan Stadium. What is the impact of losing on a team's psyche?

"That's hard to gauge," said UVa coach Al Groh in his final pregame teleconference. "It would be foolish to say it's negligible. Obviously, attitude and mentality has a lot to do with [winning and losing].

"As long as a team can see progress and see the mission in front of it each game, that's where you get the energy to keep moving forward."

There were signs of progress on Sept. 19, in a 37-34 loss at Southern Mississippi -- a game that UVa seemingly had under control when it led 34-17 in the third quarter.

Groh tried to accentuate the positive after that game, but it's clear that he is walking a tightrope.

"You've got to make sure, for one thing, that you're not 'over-talking,'" he said. "If every day is a sermon or a lecture to the team, it becomes kind of like a thunderstorm. You know, 'Hey, wait a few minutes and it will be over and we'll get on with our business.'

"You want to make sure, when you've got something to say, that it's very pertinent."

Groh directed offensive coordinator Gregg Brandon to make changes in the offense before the Southern Mississippi game and the Cavaliers responded with their highest scoring output of the season.

"We are not a knee-jerk operation, but sometimes you've got to react to reality," Groh said.

North Carolina enters the game with a defense that is ranked among the top 25 in multiple categories, but head coach Butch Davis isn't sure what to expect from Virginia offensively, especially since UVa has been off for a week.

"It's a guessing game," Davis said. "You don't want to coach against ghosts. You don't want to fabricate and make up things. Virginia is no different than any other team playing college football. In the early part of the season, you're trying to find yourself."

North Carolina (3-1 , 0-1 ACC) played 11 true freshmen in its first game. Virginia has played six, raising questions about how much Groh is thinking about this season and how much he is thinking about the future.

One would surmise he's thinking about this season, however, since it could be his last at Virginia if he doesn't start winning games.

UVa true freshmen who have played are wide receiver Tim Smith, running back Dominique Wallace, defensive end Will Hill, running back Perry Jones, wide receiver Quintin Hunter and defensive back LaRoy Reynolds.

Smith has caught touchdown passes in each of the past two games, and Wallace had 14 rushing attempts that came early enough before he was injured for him to receive a fifth season of eligibility. The rest have appeared almost exclusively on special teams.

"Our philosophy remains consistent," Groh said. "Whenever a player is ready to help the team be better than it otherwise would be, then we're enthusiastic about using the player. We're going to take full advantage of the roster and use everybody who can help us win."

Groh mentioned defensive back Javanti Sparrow and 6-foot-7, 295-pound defensive lineman Brent Urban as other true freshman who may play.

Special teams are where many young players get their indoctrination, but the UVa special teams have ranked among the worst in the country. They are ranked last in Division I-A in kickoff coverage and next-to-last in kickoff returns.

Southern Mississippi kickoff returns of 68 and 100 yards may have skewed the coverage statistics, but there's no obvious explanation why UVa returns have been so anemic.

"I don't like to say this because it sounds like you're pinning everything on the players," Groh said. "It's a collaborative effort [of] players, coaches and whatnot. But, clearly, there have not been enough opposing cover guys blocked well enough."

Substandard blocking by another unit, the offensive line, is an equally big reason why the Cavaliers are in such a desperate state.

"I think everybody is desperate every single Saturday," Davis said. "You want to win."