CHARLOTTESVILLE -- A surprise start and a surprise victory in front of 15 family members and friends Saturday was close to a football highlight for fifth-year Virginia defensive back Brandon Woods.

Woods probably wouldn't call it the highlight of his fall, not if he knows what's good for him.

In mid-September, while the Cavaliers were observing an off week, Woods exchanged vows with his girlfriend since their days at Southern Durham (N.C.) High School, Khama Deleston.

Deleston, who was two years ahead of Woods in school, recently was promoted to staff sergeant in the U.S. Air Force. She lives in Lexington and works as a personnelist in the VMI Air Force ROTC.

She and Woods had been engaged only since Aug. 26, but they had been dating for 8-9 years.

The Cavaliers have not had a married player since Roanoke's Jon Copper completed his eligibility in 2008.

"I knew he was getting married," said Copper, who had attended church and bible study with Woods when they were teammates. "I didn't know he was getting married during the season.

"We [Copper and wife Holly] got married during the spring, so at least we'd have a couple of weeks away from football."

Woods' wedding took place Sept. 26 in front of family and close friends -- including Jameel Sewell and Ras-I Dowling -- at Charlottesville's Mount Zion First African Baptist Church.

Woods' new bride said she had no qualms about holding the ceremony during the season.

"No, because I knew it would make him play better," she said.

She had that right. Six days later, Woods learned that he would start in place of injured safety Rodney McLeod, and previously winless UVa did not miss a beat in a 16-3 victory at North Carolina.

Woods grew up 15 miles from UNC's Kenan Stadium, although he never rooted for either the Tar Heels or his hometown school, Duke.

Saturday's game marked only the fourth career start for Woods, who started three games early in 2008 before losing his job to Corey Mosley, then a redshirt freshman.

When fourth-year juniors play sparingly, as was the case with Woods over the second half of the 2008 season, occasionally they do not return for a fifth season. That was not a consideration with Woods.

"There was never any question on our part," Groh said. "We thought he was a valuable member of the team and both [player and staff] had invested considerable time in his development and wanted to see it through to its fruition."

Woods had arrived at UVa as a receiver, a higher-rated prospect than fellow Southern Pines wideout Maurice Covington in the same recruiting class. But, while Covington eventually became a starting receiver, Woods (6-2, 215 pounds) was moved to defense.

Woods still finds himself wondering how his career might have been different if he had remained on offense, "and I've even talked to Coach [Groh] about it a couple of times; if he ever needed me on offense, I used to play there," Woods said.

With McLeod's availability still in question, Woods is listed as the starter at free safety going into the Cavaliers' homecoming game Saturday against Indiana.

"One of his drawbacks was tackling," Groh said, "[but] his tackling was excellent on Saturday. Brandon has always been a player that's put a great deal into it.

"When things weren't going as well as he would like, he would always say, 'Coach, can I come in and go over this video with you or talk about what I need to do?' "

Football wasn't all-consuming, though. He paid enough attention to academics that he will graduate in 4 ½ years, plus he conducted a courtship that continued while his future bride was stationed in Oklahoma.

He finally proposed eight days before the start of the season -- in the Lexington Walmart, no less. He had lured Deleston to the Walmart with word that there was a money-gram waiting for her.

"It was supposed to be from my mother," she said. "I figured I could use the money."

They had started dating when she was in the 11th grade and he was a ninth-grade football teammate of her brother's. She didn't think twice about dating a boy who was two years younger than she was.

"Not at all," she said. "He was so cute."

A trip to the Bahamas is in the planning stages, but, as honeymoons go, that afternoon in Kenan Stadium will be hard to top.