JASON O. WATSON

US Presswire Vic Hall (4) is Virginia's fourth-leading receiver with 23 catches. He's also served as a quarterback, defensive back, return man and holder.

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- Now that Vic Hall has thrown the first touchdown pass of his college career, what could be left on his Virginia football bucket list?

Maybe a victory over Virginia Tech. He hasn't had one of those.

Actually, he hasn't had a punt return for a touchdown, but he knows the feeling. Hall twice has returned punts for apparent touchdowns, only to have them nullified by penalty against Middle Tennessee State in 2007 and Boston College this season.

Hall has rushed for a touchdown, caught a touchdown pass, returned an interception for a touchdown and thrown a touchdown pass.

Hall threw 104 touchdown passes in a celebrated career at Gretna High School, but he hadn't thrown a TD pass in college until he got the ball on an end-around, then spotted a wide-open Joe Torchia in the first half Saturday at Clemson.

By the second half, Hall was taking direct snaps at quarterback in the "Wildcat" formation that UVa had installed for tailback Mikell Simpson.

Simpson had pulled a hamstring on the last play of the first half and was lost for the game.

What many had forgotten at that point is that Hall had been listed as questionable in the injury report Virginia had released Thursday. That meant that there was a 50-percent chance he would play.

He ended taking 54 snaps, 48 on offense and six on special teams. He ran two plays out of the Wildcat, for gains of 3 and 2 yards, before the Cavaliers scrapped that formation for the remainder of the afternoon.

Nobody could blame Hall or coach Al Groh.

"Vic was unable to practice all week long," Groh said.

In fact, Hall continues to be nagged by the same hip injury that caused him to miss two games earlier in the season.

He was the Cavaliers' starting quarterback for the opening game of the season but went to Groh before an Oct. 3 date with North Carolina and pushed for roommate Jameel Sewell to be the starter.

"Just being out there for [two] games, obviously he got more comfortable, so I didn't see any need for me to come back and be a quarterback," Hall said.

He didn't have his first reception of the season until the Cavaliers' fourth game but currently stands fourth on the team in receptions with 23. No other Virginia player has caught more passes over that span.

Many believe that slot receiver is the position for which Hall, listed at 5 foot 9 and 185 pounds, is best suited.

"It's been a lot of fun," Hall said. "I kind of always wanted to play slot receiver. Being my last year and I got a chance to play it, it's been a worthwhile experience."

Hall has spent most of his career on defense, starting 23 straight games at cornerback before he was moved to quarterback on the eve of the 2008 season finale at Virginia. He carried 16 times for 109 yards and two touchdowns in a 17-14 loss to the Hokies.

Hall had a 40-yard scoring run in that game and his 34-yard touchdown run in this season's opener against William and Mary matches the longest of the Cavaliers' season.

He had completed three passes in his college career before he had completions on back-to-back plays against Clemson. He never really had a chance to show whether he could be an effective passer on the college level, but he's experienced everything else.

"I got a chance to play quarterback, defensive back, wide receiver and also line up in the Wildcat," said Hall, a co-captain for the second year in a row, "and I got to do all that in the same season. I take it as a great experience; not too many guys get to do that."

He forgets to mention that he returns punts and has served as the Cavaliers' holder on field goals and extra points. It's like a baseball player who's had a chance to play all nine positions in one game.

"I always feel very inadequate in trying to properly profile Vic for people who don't know him," Groh said. "You have to be around him on a daily basis to know his goodness and values and everything that he's about."

Hall knows that he is one of Groh's favorite players, maybe one of Groh's favorite players ever.

"I've just always tried to be a dependable guy," he said. "I guess he appreciates that. I feel that he has a lot of belief in me."

No matter the production, Hall was always going to have a role.