As most of the University community took a long weekend to read and recuperate in the middle of the semester, Virginia football coach Al Groh took some time to examine the Cavaliers' defense in his weekly press conference on Monday.
The Virginia defense has struggled in the last two weeks, especially with stopping the opponents' running game. On Saturday, North Carolina tailback Andre Williams rushed for 151 yards on 28 carries, and the Tar Heels put up a 248-yard total ground effort in their 30-24 win over the Cavaliers.
"Over the past two weeks if I told you [the defense] was developing properly you would think I had a low set of standards," Groh said. "I'd like to give up around 180 yards and nine first downs a game."
But the struggles haven't ended on the ground, as the Cavalier defense is second-worst in the ACC with an average of 394.4 yards allowed per game.
Still, Groh does not seem worried.
"We are only at the halfway point of the season," he said. "This is the point where I wanted to get to ... and then try to jump off from this point and see what the team can do."
There are several factors that contribute to Virginia's difficulties, among them the new 3-4 formation that Groh has installed and the fact that the defensive line is not particularly hefty by ACC standards. But Groh maintains that the players have the potential to improve.
He praised Virginia senior defensive tackle Monsanto Pope's abilities on the line, and also his ability to transition to the 3-4 formation.
Pope "is what you would like to have." Groh said. "He's got explosion, lateral quickness, good push back power. That's what you'd like. He has adjusted to the 3-4 pretty decently. I'd say his adjustment has plateaued in the last couple weeks. I think he knows what needs to be done to get it back on track."
Groh also emphasized that in lieu of size, several of his linemen have to depend on technique to get their stops.
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The relatively small size of Darryl Sanders (268 pounds) and Ljubomir Stamenich (262 pounds) "forces those players to be very good technique players, because they know they can't work themselves out of difficult circumstances through power," Groh said. "They both learn how to use leverage very well, and yet even though they are undersized for this style, I think this style helps them."
According to Groh, much of that size element just takes time. He used redshirt freshman Christopher Canty (262 pounds) as an example.
"I think he's going to" have size, he said. "Get them in a developmental program, and when he is a fourth year, he will look like those other guys. That's the raw material you'd like to start with."
Otherwise, Groh sees speed as a recruiting goal for the Cavaliers' future.
"You have to match speed with toughness," Groh said. "Sometimes speed without toughness does not match very well. If a player's fast, and he's tough, he has a chance to do something for you."
Senior running back Tyree Foreman also received praise from Groh for his physical play.
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