After Virginia’s come-from-behind win against then-No. 18 Georgia Tech last Saturday, the Cavaliers have become the epitome of the phrase “from worst to first.” After an abysmal start to the season, the Cavaliers (5-3, 3-1 ACC) now hold the top spot in the ACC Coastal Division. Virginia now controls its own destiny for a shot in the ACC Championship game, a quest that begins Saturday when it hosts Miami.
The Hurricanes (5-3, 2-2 ACC) come to Charlottesville Homecoming Weekend to face a surging Virginia squad that is 4-1 at home and is coming off two consecutive upsets against ranked opponents that have the team’s confidence level high.
“Any time you’re able to prepare from a foundation of confidence, it’s a more advantageous circumstance, and confidence only comes from demonstrated performance,” Virginia coach Al Groh said.
Both squads enter the game on winning streaks — Virginia comes off four straight victories while the Hurricanes have captured three in a row. One winning streak will end though, when the ACC foes meet for the first time since Virginia trounced Miami 48-0 last year in the Hurricanes’ final game at the Orange Bowl.
“I’m sure it’s going to be on their minds,” senior linebacker Clint Sintim said of last year’s beating. “I’m sure they are going to be fired up and try to come here and really stick it to us.”
Miami will have to penetrate an offensive line that has been nothing short of stellar as of late. Sophomore quarterback Marc Verica is completing 67 percent of his passes behind great protection, while the line is also providing holes for the ACC’s third-leading rusher, senior halfback Cedric Peerman.
“Every one of the five is playing better now than he did in the beginning,” Groh said of the offensive line. “Collectively as a group they’re playing much more cohesively together.”
The line is led by junior tackle Will Barker, who was named ACC Offensive Lineman of the Week after his performance against Georgia Tech. Barker’s strong play comes after being acquitted of a petty larceny charge Oct. 6.
“It’s a weighty matter to hang over a kid’s head,” Groh said. “Probably once that depth was properly cleared, it enabled him to relax a bit.”
Virginia, however, does not plan to overlook a very athletic Miami squad. Miami’s victories have come against, among others, Texas A&M, Wake Forest and Duke, the latter of which gave Virginia its lone ACC loss. Though young, the Hurricanes feature an effective two-quarterback system of freshmen Robert Marve and Jacory Harris, much like the rotation Virginia Tech used last season with Sean Glennon and Tyrod Taylor.
“They’re both very athletic players,” Groh said. “They’re very effective outside the pocket, and Miami conducts the same game with both of them.”
The raw athleticism of the Hurricanes presents a concern for the Cavalier defense in particular. What Miami lacks in experience, it makes up for with speed and power.
“I think [Miami] is probably the most talented team we’ll play, as far as an athletic standpoint, next to the University of Southern California,” Sintim said. “They’ve got a lot of playmakers.”
Virginia may be without key players on both sides of the ball. Redshirt freshman defensive end Zane Parr, who has seen action in six games this season, underwent surgery on his meniscus and will miss some time. Also, junior fullback Rashawn Jackson may miss the game, pending charges of breaking and entering and grand larceny stemming from an incident at Cauthen dormitory last November.
Despite these challenges, Virginia hopes to extend its winning streak to five and continue its push for national recognition in the BCS rankings. A win can almost guarantee a bowl game, something that seemed nearly impossible at the beginning of the season but now seems almost inevitable.
“One of the things that did get us to this point was that the players were always listening to the message and stayed with it,” Groh said. “We’re appreciative of that and give them a lot of credit for that.”
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