Virginia coach George Welsh entered the two-week intrasquad scrimmage period, hopeful that many of his lingering questions would be answered. Now, as he prepares to kick off the 1999 campaign against North Carolina in less than 72 hours, many of the same questions stare him right in the face.
Topping Welsh's list of concerns is a rash of injuries that has him scanning the depth chart for healthy bodies.
"I have a lot of concerns in openers," Welsh said. "The first two weeks of the season are always nerve-wracking for me."
Defensive end Travis Griffith, whose 11 career sacks rank him 13th in school history, has missed the last 11 practices with nagging lower back pain but said Monday he will play against the Heels. Still, Griffith's back combined with defensive tackle Maurice Anderson's chronic toe pain and minor injuries to defensive end and tackle Kofi Bawuah leave the front four depleted. Welsh, however, is confident that he will have a sufficient number of healthy players for Saturday's tussle with the Heels.
"The defensive guys do not have injuries that are going to keep them out for a couple of weeks," Welsh said. "They've just been nicked here and there. I think they're going to be ready, but I don't know."
But Welsh's defensive concerns do not end there.
Fourth-year Antawn Harris has been a nomad in the secondary. Initially slated to replace Anthony Poindexter at strong safety, the Raleigh, N.C. native since has moved to cornerback, thus relegating cornerback Tim Spruill to the backup job.
Harris' switch to corner opposite returning starter Dwayne Stukes leaves a pair of redshirt first years, Shenard Newby and Chris Williams, to fill both safety positions.
Included in these is the ability of a banged-up defense to prevent big plays, the capacity of an inexperienced quarterback to handle a starting role and the consistency of the Cavs' special teams.
"I'm always worried about players without experience because you don't know," Welsh said. "I'm worried especially [about] somebody who's starting for the first time."
With the defense, usually the backbone of the Cavaliers' success, in a state of flux, Virginia's offense finds itself in the crosshairs more so now than in recent memory.
An injury to fourth-year tight end Casey Crawford, however, will give third-year starting quarterback Dan Ellis one less receiver from which to choose. Noel LaMontagne, preseason All-ACC guard and tri-captain, said he knows the untested Cavaliers have much to prove.
"How is the offense going to handle the pressure of being the focus of this team?" LaMontagne said. "How is the defense going to handle being an underdog for the first time in I don't know how many years?
"You always have the preseason doubts and the preseason hype, and those are the big things - what is this team actually going to be like," he said.
And then there's archrival North Carolina, who returns do-everything quarterback Ronald Curry, preseason All-ACC tight end Alge Crumpler and a trio of talented linebackers in Brandon Spoon, Sedrick Hodge and Merceda Perry.
"I think it's our biggest rivalry," Spruill said. "It's the oldest rivalry in the South, from what our coaches tell us. With the addition of Ron Curry, it adds a little more fire to it. We need something to go out and fight for."
Welsh does not need to be reminded of the multi-dimensional Curry, who has a full year of game experience under his belt.
"The $64,000 question is, what are they going to do with Curry?" Welsh said. "He's most dangerous when running. There's no doubt that they'll run him on quarterback draws and get him outside."
Associate Editor Jed Williams contributed to this story.
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