With a new coordinator and at least six new starters, one might expect that it will take a few games before Virginia's offense fully clicks. Senior quarterback Christian Olsen, however, is confident that it will not take that long.
"People are probably expecting it to take a lot more time than it has," Olsen said. "We had 15 good practices in the spring, all summer working together and now 25 practices before we go in and play Pittsburgh. I don't really think that we're going to need two or three games to get rolling."
Olsen has a tough act to follow under center. With star signal-callers like Matt Schaub and Marques Hagans running the show the past several years, Virginia's offense has come to rely upon quarterback-driven play. Last season, Hagans accounted for 2,802 of Virginia's 4,395 yards gained on offense, 63.8 percent. Olsen lacks Hagans's ability to make plays with his feet and will thrive more by staying within the system rather than by improvisation.
The quarterback position is only one of many on the offensive side of the ball to see change during the off-season.
To help fill the void left by Wali Lundy's departure, senior Jason Snelling has been shifted from fullback to tailback. Snelling rushed for 325 yards and two touchdowns as a fullback last season.
Also receiving a significant number of touches in the backfield should be senior Michael Johnson and sophomore Cedric Peerman, who combined for 504 yards and five TDs last year. Freshman Mikell Simpson will also see some time in the backfield rotation.
Juniors Josh Zidenberg and Kevin Bradley will split time at the fullback position.
A key to the success of Virginia's running game will be the speed at which the offensive line gels. The Cavaliers lost three starters to graduation -- center Brian Barthelmes, right tackle Brad Butler and left tackle D'Brickashaw Ferguson. This talented trio combined for 124 career starts at Virginia.
Replacing Barthelemes at center will be either junior Ian-Yates Cunningham or junior Jordy Lipsey. Cunningham came into training camp the favorite for the starting position, but Lipsey's stellar play has made it a competition. If Lipsey becomes the starting center, Cunningham will likely compete for time at either of the guard spots. At right tackle, freshman Will Barker will likely start, especially after junior Eddie Pinigis decided to quit the team over the weekend due to concerns about playing time. Sophomore Eugene Monroe looks to be ensconced at left tackle, with sophomore Zak Stair backing up both tackle positions.
Virginia's two returning starters on the offensive line are sophomore left guard Branden Albert and junior right guard Marshal Ausberry. Senior Gordie Sammis will back up Albert while freshman Patrick Slebonick will back up Ausberry. Ausberry's hold on the starting job could be in jeopardy if Cunningham is moved to guard.
"The toughest part about the transition from last year is everybody understanding what their role is," Cunningham said.
Virginia's corps of wide receivers took a major hit earlier this month when senior Deyon Williams went down with a stress fracture in his right foot. While much of the pressure to step up will fall on the shoulders of senior Fontel Mines, Virginia also has a stable of younger receivers who will need to rise to the occasion if the Cavaliers hope to match or improve upon their 223.7 receiving yards per game in 2005, fifth in the ACC. This younger set of receivers includes junior Emmanuel Byers and sophomores Maurice Covington, Kevin Olgetree and Andrew Pearman.
At tight end, Virginia has experienced minimal turnover and has extensive depth. Virginia has led the ACC in offensive output from the tight end spot since coach Al Groh arrived in 2001. Last year, juniors Jonathan Stupar and Tom Santi, along with sophomore John Phillips, maintained the standard of excellence set by former Virginia tight end Heath Miller, who posted some of the best offensive numbers nationally for a tight end between 2002 and 2004.
"I think we all have a great, healthy competition with each other," Santi said of his fellow tight ends. "We watch each other on film and try to learn from everybody's good points and everybody's mistakes."
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