Courtesy of Jim Daves | University of Virginia

Billy Schautz (47) ran a blocked punt back 20 yards for a touchdown vs. Miami.

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- Saturday probably was the first time that most Virginia football fans had heard the name Billy Schautz.

Chances are, they'll hear it again.

"He's going to be a great player," said Aaron Clark, one of Schautz' fellow outside linebackers. "He's got a lot of really good instincts as far as football goes. He's athletic; he's very quick at the point of attack.

"He's a fun guy to be around and he's going to be exciting to watch."

Schautz, a 6-foot-4, 240-pound redshirt freshman, played in Virginia's previous six games. But, he did little of note until he scooped up a loose ball Saturday and ran 20 yards for a touchdown following a punt blocked by Trey Womack.

"It was a big play, but we don't focus on individual plays," said Schautz after a 52-17 loss at Miami. "Everybody is down in the dumps.

"Right now, I just want to help the team wherever they want to put me. It's not my call. I think I can be a big-play player. I was hoping I would be a little more a part of the defense this year."

So was head coach Al Groh until Schautz suffered a torn medial collateral ligament near the end of preseason camp.

Until then, Schautz, from Bergen (N.J.) Catholic, was ticketed for a full-time spot in Virginia's "nickel" package that subsequently went to Darren Childs.

Virginia primarily has used three players at outside linebacker, including Clark and fellow fifth-year senior Denzel Burrell.

"Hopefully, his upside is as a starting outside linebacker on regular downs and play one of the inside positions on [passing] downs," Groh said. "I can't give you a number on his speed, but he runs pretty nicely. In high school, he was a combination of wide receiver, safety, quarterback and did a lot of things that required open-field skills."

UVa's other outside linebacker, sophomore Cam Johnson, also played safety in high school.

"He's [Schautz] had to learn how to use his hands and take on blocks," Groh said. "His spring was more notable in the spring [in the dime package] because he was playing some of the free safety stuff he had in high school, only closer to the line of scrimmage."

Personnel

Groh said that quarterback Jameel Sewell, who missed the Miami game with an injured shoulder, was held out of practice Sunday but there is a possibility he could play Saturday, when the Cavaliers (3-6, 2-3 ACC) entertain Boston College (6-3, 3-2) at 3:30 p.m.

"We're going to see what tomorrow brings," Groh said Monday.

"We purposely held him out [Sunday], knowing there wasn't that much to be accomplished and another 48 hours of healing would be advantageous. Our medical people saw it as a prudent, hopefully productive path."

• Groh said that no consideration was given to using redshirt freshman quarterback Riko Smalls in mop-up time Saturday, but said that Smalls and not Vic Hall is the No. 3 quarterback behind Sewell and Marc Verica.

"Vic's got a position," said Groh, who has been using Hall at wide receiver. "We're not playing pingpong with him."

• When asked about "the state" of his punting game, Groh hesitated for a few seconds, sighed and then replied, "in flux." He then conceded that sophomore Jimmy Howell would regain the spot he held before walk-on junior Nathan Rathjen got a call. Groh also expressed frustration with the squib attempts of No. 1 kickoff specialist Chris Hinkebein.

Alumni bulletin

Ex-UVa running back Alvin Pearman, an All-ACC pick in 2005 who was picked up by Tennessee two weeks ago, returned five kicks (four kickoffs, one punt) for the Titans in a 34-27 win in San Francisco on Sunday. ... Rookie wide receiver Kevin Ogletree from UVa had two receptions for 38 yards and also ran 6 yards on a reverse for Dallas in a 20-16 victory in Philadelphia.

Coaching evaluation

When asked on his Sunday night teleconference if he felt the UVa coaching staff was doing everything it could in terms of game planning, Groh was quick not to place the burden on his players.

"To say 'everything' would be, probably, pretty egotistical," Groh said. "I've never come out of one, in a lot of years [and] even when we've won pretty well, that I've thought I got it all right. We analyze ourselves before we do anything else and there certainly is plenty to analyze there."

Odds 'n' ends

Television syndicators have exercised their six-day option on Virginia's Nov. 21 visit to Clemson, meaning that a game time won't be announced till next week. ... Fork Union Military Academy coach John Shuman said that offensive lineman Cody Wallace, a 2009 Virginia signee, has assured to him that he will honor his commitment to UVa regardless of any changes in the coaching staff.