Spread 101, Part III: UVA's Personnel Match

This is part three in a four-part series on UVA's introduction to the spread offense. Part I discussed general spread principles. Part II focuses on what the spread will look like at UVA based on the man brought in to run the spread -- former Bowling Green Head Coach and new Virginia OC Gregg Brandon. Part III focuses on whether Virginia has the pieces in place to adequately run the spread.

Quarterbacks – As noted yesterday, new OC Gregg Brandon likes to run the football. As evidenced by his 109 yards rushing in the season file against Tech last year, Vic Hall can run the ball. But he’s thrown all of two passes in three years while playing for the orange and blue.  Most media reports, including the DP's latest, have Hall in the lead to start the season.

Can he handle it? Well, Hall did throw for 8,731 yards in high school, and led his team to back-to-back state championships as a QB. But there’s a reason Hall’s been playing cornerback the last three seasons. At 5-9, Hall may be too small to play QB at this level. Brandon admitted that's a problem, especially with an offensive line in front of him that averages 6-6. Brandon also said that Hall is still transitioning back to quarterback. 

The closest comparison to Hall’s situation is Marques Hagans, another vertically challenged QB, who led the Cavaliers to a pair of winning campaigns in 2004 and 2005. But Hagans had the benefit of something Hall doesn’t have on his side – time. After redshirting in 2001, Hagans briefly wrested the starting QB job from Matt Schaub in 2002, but he struggled in general and more specifically with getting balls batted back in his face. By week 3, Groh had turned back to 6-5 Schaub, who wouldn’t relinquish the job to Biscuit until he graduated at the end of the 2003 season. Just as it took a while for Hagans to adjust to the size at this level, it will take Hall time. But he’s a senior, not a red-shirt freshman.

Running Backs – Mikell Simpson was built for the spread. He’s never been the between-the-tackles bruiser Groh prefers, but with the formation spread, and running lanes open, look for Simpson to run wild at times this season, so long as he stays healthy. He’ll also have to improve his blocking, as its asked more of running backs in the spread offense.

Most likely behind Simpson is redshirt freshman Torrey Mack, another undersized but speedy tailback. But as Groh was quoted as saying in this notebook, Mack’s a little behind on pass protection.  The other competitors for PT – Keith Payne and Rashawn Jackson – are bruisers better suited to the 2008 version of the Cavaliers, but they’ll still see time in obvious blocking and short-yardage situations.

Wide Receivers – Kevin Ogletree picked a heck of a year to leave early just to go undrafted. We all hope he makes the Cowboys as an undrafted free-agent, but his departure leaves the receiving corps very young. Darrell’s son looks to be the most likely to make an impact after a solid redshirt freshman campaign. More than one Cavalier is likely to make a name for himself playing in this more wide-open style of offense, but if anyone tells you today they know who that’s going to be, they’re lying.

2009 will also likely mark the end, at least in the short term, of UVA as a TE factory. If they’re one of the top 4 receivers, and that’s entirely possible with the youth at WR, TEs will play.  Third-year man Joe Torchia seems the most likely to be poised for a breakout, but with a new system in place that emphasizes run after the catch, don’t hold your breath for one.

Offensive Line – a unit that returns four starters, this should be a strength coming into the 2009 season. They only surrendered 16 sacks as a unit. They’ll be running a very different offense in 2009, but expect this veteran group to handle it well. Whether the skill position players they’re blocking for do the same may be another matter.