This year's Virginia football team looks to me like a poker player who changed their entire philosophy from just a year or two ago.
In the 1998 movie "Rounders," starring Edward Norton and Matt Damon, the conflicts between two divergent poker philosophies marked a central part of the movie. Norton's character "Worm" played the game without abandon, cheating to get the big pot. On the other hand, John Turturro's character "Knish" played a tight-to-the-vest style, grinding out smaller pots while minimizing losses, and trying to come out on top in the big picture.
When Bill Musgrave, now the coordinator for the NFL's Jacksonville Jaguars was running the offense, and even last year with Matt Schaub still at the helm, the Cavaliers seemed to take on Worm's philosophy. Every game, the Cavaliers cooked up a new wrinkle. There was Marques Hagans' receiver pass that went for a touchdown in the inaugural Tire Bowl two years ago, not to mention the trademark screens based in misdirection and even the occasional fake punt. Virginia seemed to fully embrace a high risk style of football that turned them into one of the more unpredictable and exciting teams in the country.
Now Virginia's offense resembles Army's Wing-T of the 1940s. Much like Knish, they know that those three-yard runs add up over time. Sure, there was the Florida State debacle, but Virginia is too busy fighting for first place in the ACC now to be worried about that slip-up.
The offense's entire focus has shifted to this throwback running style that sometimes bores even the most zealous members of the Scott Stadium crowd. For the first time since I've been here, it's actually more fun to watch the defense operate than to see the offense run the toss-sweep one more time.
As the offense becomes more focused on ball control, the defense seems to get more creative in every game. Virginia coach Al Groh and his staff put Darryl Blackstock at defensive end more often since Chris Canty's injury, giving the Cavaliers a speedy pass-rusher without being forced to blitz a linebacker. They also found a way to allow Ahmad Brooks to shine brighter than ever, specifically on his one-handed interception in the first quarter. Brooks now may be the most impressive performer on the field, a major change from last year when most of the attention centered on Schaub and the dynamic offense.
In Musgrave's short tenure at Virginia, he established a legacy of wheeling and dealing that coordinator Ron Prince began phasing out last year and seems to have completely done away with this season. The difference may lie in the two coordinators respective backgrounds as players. Musgrave was a four-year starter at quarterback for Oregon, while Prince did the dirty work on the offensive line at Appalachian State.
The two very different offenses seem to reflect very different coaches. But who knows, maybe Groh wanted to do this all along but just didn't have the personnel to pull it off.
Either way, Virginia's new offensive approach might prove to be perfectly suited to knock off Miami. Many watched as North Carolina fans took down the goalposts after the Tar Heels beat the Hurricanes behind the running of Chad Scott, a transfer from Kentucky and North Carolina's third-leading rusher on the season.
If Scott can rush for 175 yards on a Miami defense which is seventh in the ACC in rushing yards allowed, then surely Wali Lundy and Alvin Pearman will be able to find some seams in the Hurricane defense. On a side note, I've been thinking about this for the last few days, and these two definitely need a tandem nickname -- something like how Ron Dayne and Tiki Barber in New York used to be Thunder and Lightning before Lightning started striking all the time because Thunder can't keep his weight down. I can't come up with anything perfect, so if you have any suggestions, let me know: This should be resolved before Saturday.
With a solid rushing attack and an excited home crowd, the Cavaliers could be looking at one of the biggest wins in Virginia history on Saturday. A victory would set up a possible de facto ACC championship game with Virginia Tech Thanksgiving week, provided the Cavaliers can get past Georgia Tech in Atlanta.
I'm sorry, I'm trying not to think too far ahead but it's really not working.
Bottom line: Virginia's team has a new personality -- one well-suited to its seasoned offensive line and multiple explosive running backs. If the Cavaliers can get an early lead against Miami and then hand the ball to the backfield tandem (nickname pending), the Cavaliers can make Miami go the way of the hated Terrapins.
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