The latest era of Virginia football, new helmets and all, begins Saturday against No. 22 Wisconsin in the Eddie Robinson Classic. The preseason game named in honor of the former Grambling State coach features two coaches leading teams with pressing questions on both sides of the ball.
After losing to Northwestern, 47-44, last season, Wisconsin coach Barry Alvarez decided to learn from the Wildcats and started to adjust his offensive scheme. Alvarez realized Northwestern used three and four-receiver formations to spread the field and set up the running game.
The Badger coach implemented some spread formations in the team's 21-20 victory over UCLA in the Sun Bowl and has spent the past few months adding similar formations to this season's playbook.
Junior quarterback Brooks Bollinger leads Wisconsin's new offensive look. Always a threat to tuck the ball under his shoulder and run, Bollinger has a 17-3 career record as a starter.
The biggest question mark for Wisconsin will be replacing running back Michael Bennett, who left a year early for the NFL. Three redshirt freshmen will battle for the starting position. But each will enjoy running behind one of the largest offensive lines in the country, led by 6-foot-7, 319-pound tackle Ben Johnson.
The Virginia defense underwent scheme changes as well and faces equally daunting challenges.
Virginia coach Al Groh and defensive coordinator Al Golden prefer an attacking defense that gets pressure on the quarterback and have changed the defense from a 4-3 to a 3-4 alignment.
"The field is too wide and the offenses are too spread that if you just let them throw, throw, throw then you're back on you're heels, always playing passively," Groh said. "Sooner or later you've got to try to make it difficult for the quarterback."
With Wisconsin's new fondness for multiple receiver sets, the Virginia cornerbacks will face an early man-to-man coverage test. Although the Cavaliers lost their two starting cornerbacks for the second year in a row, they have faith in their new corps of cover men. Junior Rashad Roberson and sophomore Jamaine Winborne will start today with sophomore Art Thomas as the primary backup.
"We've got confidence in these young corners," linebacker Merrill Robertson said. "They're going to be on the island and they can handle it."
One of Virginia's biggest offseason questions was put to rest on Tuesday when Groh decided on his starting quarterback. Sophomores Matt Schaub and Bryson Spinner were vying for the spot during the preseason. Groh, however, refused to divulge his decision to the media.
"I'm not looking for an advantage" against Wisconsin, Groh said. "I'm just trying to make it clean and clear for the players."
Regardless of who is the signal caller, Virginia's offense promises to be a team strength. The Virginia offensive line is one of the best in the nation and returns three starters, led by senior guards Evan Routzahn and Josh Lawson. Antwoine Womack also returns from a season in which he led the ACC in rushing with 1,028 yards, the third consecutive year a Cavalier has won the conference rushing title.
Virginia's offensive linemen will face a stout Badger defense led by two-time All-Big Ten defensive end Wendell Bryant. Middle linebacker Nick Griesen also returns after leading the Big Ten with 146 tackles.
Since Wisconsin has only lost one home game to a non-conference opponent since 1990, Saturday's game on a national stage is a perfect opportunity for the newly energized Cavaliers to make a statement.
"If we go out there and knock off Wisconsin, it's going to do something mentally," Cavalier linebacker Angelo Crowell said. "If we beat a big name team, Wisconsin, on their home turf, we'll show them that we mean business"
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