I am no sidewalk psychic, but I saw the future of Virginia football Saturday at North Carolina.
And that future wasn't in the right arm of Matt Schaub, who looked confident and sharp in the pocket, completing 19-of-22 attempts with no picks. That future wasn't even in the legs of sophomore sensation Wali Lundy, who pounded the turf with 28 carries for 129 yards and three touchdowns. Or in the foot of last week's surprise superstar, kicker Connor Hughes, who booted a 29-yarder in the second quarter to preserve his perfect record of field goals made and give the Cavaliers a lead they never relinquished.
Although the leadership and production of Schaub and Lundy were certainly valuable, it was the younger, less-experienced Cavaliers who were Saturday's story, showing abilities that promise bigger things to come.
Once Virginia got its engines warmed up Saturday, they effectively flattened the 0-5 Tar Heels with a solid and complete-game win.
The Virginia defense held Carolina to 23 points below the Tar Heels' average points per game total and limited prolific passer Darian Durant to 207 yards in the air. The most impressive part of this feat was that the Cavalier defense was run by two freshmen. True freshman Ahmad Brooks was thrust into a leadership role at inside linebacker when redshirt freshman Kai Parham got the call to start in place of injured junior Rich Bedsem.
"I can't even explain it," Parham said of the emotions surrounding his first college start. "It was fun."
The fun will certainly continue, as Virginia fans can only hope that Parham and Brooks will be starting side-by-side for years to come.
Virginia had huge contributions on defense from a host of juniors in safeties Jermaine Hardy and Jay Dorsey and end Chris Canty. Yet it was another underclass linebacker, sophomore Darryl Blackstock, who stayed in Durant's face all day, sacking him twice for a combined loss of 16 yards.
It didn't take a fortune-teller to see Virginia's stars of the future on the other side of the ball, either.
The receiving corps had a big day for the Cavaliers, with several athletes stepping up to revive a depleted depth chart. With Michael McGrew out for the season, Marques Hagans moved to backup quarterback and Ryan Sawyer recovering from a nasty illness, Virginia was starting to look a little thin at receiver.
"It was time to go to the young kids," coach Al Groh said. "And they're progressing along nicely."
Freshman Fontel Mines lit up the crystal ball, taking an 18-yard pass into the endzone late in the first half for a touchdown on his first career reception. Mines follows in the footsteps of fellow freshmen Deyon Williams, who scored on his first career catch three weeks ago against Western Michigan.
Sophomore tight end Heath Miller continued his solid play against the Tarheels, demonstrating his ability to make crucial catches on third and fourth downs, quickly becoming Schaub's favorite target. His 22 receptions on the season lead the team by eight.
Yet it was junior Ottowa Anderson who really broke out Saturday, leading his team with six receptions for 80 yards. Anderson seemed to settle into his starting role, oozing confidence after a career-long reception of 36 yards in the second quarter.
"He is one of the most coach-able players on the team, and his career ascendancy reflects that," Groh said.
The crucial questions still remain as to what Virginia can take away from this lopsided win against a struggling UNC team. Can Virginia continue to play at this level against teams like the Seminoles, who march into town in two weeks, or on the road against the Tigers this week in the intimidating atmosphere of Clemson's Death Valley?
Virginia is clicking on all cylinders, coming off an emotional squeaker over Wake Forest to play cool, collected football on offense, defense and special teams against UNC. They beat Carolina in nearly every statistical category and emptied the stadium of baby blue early in the third quarter.
The Cavaliers are coming together under hard-working Al Groh, who teaches them to play every game as if their back is against the wall, as if they have something to prove.
This mentality was evident in a Cavalier squad that never relaxed, despite leading by 32 in the fourth quarter. Rather, Virginia cruised, playing tough for 60 minutes, exhausting Durant and exalting each other. If the complete Cavalier squad that showed up in Chapel Hill plays an encore at Clemson, the future of Virginia football could start this season.
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