[caption id="attachment_44921" align="alignleft" width="161" caption="During his debut as starting quarterback, sophomore Michael Rocco demonstrated poise and patience in the pocket en route to a 21-for-29 passing performance.
[caption id="attachment_44827" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Redshirt freshman tailback Kevin Parks pounded William & Mary for three touchdowns and 114 yards during his debut.
ACC Commissioner John Swofford addresses a hall filled with reporters, attempting to convince the room that his conference's recent NCAA infractions are an aberration, not a trend. "Any time one of our schools has an NCAA problem, wherever it is, whichever one it is, I'm disappointed and concerned because that's not who we are as a league," he said. Swofford paints a picture of the ACC as a balanced conference - one that may not have produced recent national championships, but still prides itself on sending players to the NFL.
Virginia's four-way quarterback competition dominated preseason press, but perhaps more important than the arm throwing the ball are the hands which will catch it. "I think the better our receivers are in running their routes, the better it's going to make it for those young quarterbacks to throw where they're supposed to throw," coach Mike London said.
A bowl game - it's in the forefront of collegiate players' minds all across the nation. And while many gridiron warriors mask their desires for a coveted postseason appearance with a one-game-at-a-time attitude, wide receiver Kris Burd and the rest of the seniors on the Virginia football team are not shying away from the fact that they are already freeing up their schedule during the months of December and January. "Our first year, we went to the Gator Bowl, and I feel like you're not really experiencing college football without going to a bowl game," Burd said.
[caption id="attachment_44710" align="alignleft" width="278" caption="Senior defensive end Cam Johnson highlights the group of 10 defensive starters which the Virginia coaching staff welcomed back for the 2011 campaign.
While the Virginia football team has struggled to make its mark in the win column during the past three losing seasons, the Cavaliers, nevertheless, have continued to churn out plenty of NFL-caliber players.
[caption id="attachment_44561" align="alignleft" width="196" caption="After jockeying for the role of starting signal caller throughout training camp, sophomore Michael Rocco nabbed a vote of confidence from the Virginia coaching staff.
When people ask Virginia coach Mike London who the ideal football player is, his answer is simple: Chase Minnifield. "On the field, off the field, in the classroom - you can point to Chase Minnifield being the model," London said. Minnifield's coach is not the only one, however, who is recognizing the All-ACC senior cornerback's exemplary efforts.
[caption id="attachment_44257" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Coach Mike London enters his second season at Virginia hopeful that his much-ballyhooed 2011 recruiting class can adjust quickly to college football and push established veterans for playing time during preseason practices.
[caption id="attachment_44137" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Freshamn David Watford, sophomore Michael Rocoo, redshirt sophomore Ross Metheny and redshirt freshman Michael Strauss all hope to be the one under center come fall.
Virginia coach Mike London reinstated redshirt junior linebacker Ausar Walcott to the football team yesterday morning. London had suspended Walcott indefinitely, as well as junior center Mike Price and junior cornerback Devin Wallace, following the three athletes' Feb.
You may not realize it, but the newspaper you are reading right now was in part an invention of Virginia football fans.
[caption id="attachment_42739" align="alignleft" width="196" caption="Sophomore quarterback Michael Rocco started for the winning Blue team and completed 10 of 22 passes for that squad.
[caption id="attachment_40212" align="alignleft" width="187" caption="Sophomore tailback Torrey Mack finished the 2010 season with 79 yards on 13 carries.
[caption id="attachment_40010" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Virginia coach Mike London pulled in the nation's No.
[caption id="attachment_38885" align="alignleft" width="208" caption="After leading Virginia to a 4-8 record this season, coach Mike London hopes to improve his team's chances in 2011 with his first recruiting class.
[caption id="attachment_38828" align="alignleft" width="206" caption="Senior running back Keith Payne concluded his senior season as the leading scorer in the ACC with 16 touchdowns to go along with a team-high 749 yards.
[caption id="attachment_38769" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Virginia Tech sophomore running back David Wilson gashed the Cavalier defense for 148 rushing and receiving yards and two touchdowns.
[caption id="attachment_38718" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Junior defensive tackle Nick Jenkins hopes to improve a rush-defense that is the 14th worst in the nation in rushing yards allowed.
