Last season, Duke came to Charlottesville sporting the conference's top pass offense. At the time, the Blue Devils were up against a Virginia squad that boasted the ACC's top pass defense.
A year later, things have not changed much, as both teams rank second in the ACC in those respective categories. The Virginia secondary's ability to constrain Duke's pass-heavy offense could determine whether the reinvigorated Cavaliers contend for a bowl game during Mike London's inaugural season as head coach.
For their part, the Cavaliers (4-4, 1-3 ACC) have won their past two games against FBS opponents, challenging preseason predictions that Virginia could not remain competitive in the ACC.
"We are instilling a new dedication to the second part of the season for these guys," London said. "A little bit of an awakening, that if you play hard, you play well, you play selfless, if you play for the guy next to you, that's all that matters. That's kind of where we are at this point going into the Duke game."
After losing its first three conference games, Virginia defied expectations by pulling off a 24-19 upset of then-No. 22 Miami. Although the absence of Miami junior quarterback Jacory Harris during the second half may have tilted the odds in the Cavaliers' favor, Virginia still managed to bring down an opponent that was fully stocked on defense.
It seems the Cavaliers' regeneration may start with the performance of senior quarterback Marc Verica. Verica's statistics were not gaudy against a Miami squad that ranks second in the ACC in total defense - he threw for 176 yards on 19 of 27 passing and tossed one touchdown and one interception - but the senior made critical completions throughout the game, including a 16-yard touchdown pass to sophomore tight end Colter Phillips on a potentially game-changing fourth-and-three situation. Moreover, he sealed the victory with two crucial third-down conversions late in the fourth quarter.
That's a change of pace from Verica's brutal performance during Virginia's first three ACC contests, during which he threw five interceptions compared to only one touchdown. With Verica's improved play and Virginia's win against Miami, though, confidence has been restored on the Virginia sideline.
"Even if you're practicing well, if you don't win, it's hard to have a lot of confidence," junior guard Austin Pasztor said. "I think winning these two games has given us confidence going into the third game."
Just as critical to Virginia's victory was the secondary, which tied a program record with five interceptions. Junior cornerback Chase Minnifield and junior safety Corey Mosley each recorded two interceptions against Miami and earned ACC Co-Defensive Backs of the Week honors as a result.
A similar performance would go a long way in restricting Duke redshirt sophomore quarterback Sean Renfree, who ranks second in the conference with 256.4 yards passing per game. Renfree tied a Duke record with his near-perfect 28-for-30 performance during the Blue Devils' 34-31 victory against Navy last week. Renfree will likely target sophomore Conner Vernon throughout tomorrow's game, as the receiver leads the ACC in receptions and receiving yards per game, totaling 715 yards on the season and four touchdowns.
"We know as a secondary that they're definitely going to complete some passes," junior safety Rodeny McLeod said. "But you know just stay focused, know what routes they like to run, rather than just reacting, you'll actually know and then be able to make plays as you see them coming."
The Blue Devils (2-6, 0-4 ACC) rank 11th in the ACC in rushing offense, so the Cavaliers may be able to key in on Renfree's downfield threats. Indeed, Virginia allows an average of only 178.4 yards per game through the air.
Lurking in the background of the upcoming game is Virginia's two-game losing streak against the Blue Devils. In 2008, Duke defeated Virginia for its first ACC victory since 2004. Last season, the Blue Devils bursted Virginia's bowl hopes with a 28-17 victory that all but sent former coach Al Groh packing. That's a trend London hopes to reverse.
"This Duke team has beaten Virginia two times in a row," he said. "One time they ended ... an ACC streak of consecutive losses. Their students stormed the field. There are some memories there that our guys can't forget."
With a victory, Virginia would need to win two of its final three regular season games against Maryland, Boston College and Virginia Tech to become bowl-eligible.\nKickoff is scheduled for noon at Wallace Wade Stadium in Durham, N.C.
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