Football returns to college campuses across the nation this weekend, and Scott Stadium opens its gates as Virginia hosts Richmond Saturday afternoon.
The Cavaliers open the season exactly as they did two years ago with a matchup against in-state rivals Richmond. This time two years ago London came face to face with his alma mater and the team he led to the 2008 FCS National Championship in his first-ever game at Virginia.
London said he hopes defeating his former team will provide more than just personal gratification. Virginia lost in resounding fashion to Virginia Tech and Auburn at the end of last season. With TCU and Georgia Tech looming on the schedule, Virginia could use an uplifting start to 2012.
“We haven’t won a game in two games …,” London said. “ [We’re] looking to get that feel that comes with victory again and kind of start off with what we hopefully feel will be a productive season.”
A lot has changed for both teams since they met in 2010. Two years ago, junior quarterback Michael Rocco was a freshman who had limited playing time under veteran starter Marc Verica. In his first season at starting quarterback last year, Rocco became the youngest Cavalier quarterback to win his first two starts. He also threw for 2,671 total yards, the most in Virginia history by a first-year starter.
As he rose in prominence last year, another Rocco also entered the spotlight. Danny Rocco, Michael’s uncle, will be coaching his first game as the Spiders’ head coach. The Virginia quarterback attributes his presence at the University to his uncle.
“My uncle was one of the big helpers in getting me to pursue Division-1 football at the highest level,” Rocco said.
Despite the family connection, both Danny and Michael Rocco are treating this matchup like a regular game.
“It’s just like talking to another coach,” Michael Rocco said. “He’s my uncle, and we’re able to talk about a lot of things, but at the end of the day this weekend the goal is to win the football game. So giving him clues is not what I’m trying to do, and he’s not trying to pry anything out of me.”
Danny Rocco was hired as Richmond’s head coach last December after the Spiders suffered their first losing season since 2004, going 3-8. He previously coached Liberty for six years, leading the Flames to a 47-20 record. Liberty was 1-10 before Danny Rocco took over the helm and led the team to a 6-5 season. He earned the Big South Coach of the Year Award three years in a row from 2006 to 2008. The Spiders are hoping Danny Rocco can engineer a similar turnaround in Richmond and add stability to the head coach position, which has seen five different coaches in six years.
London also has a relationship with Danny Rocco. He knows him from their time together on former Virginia coach Al Groh’s staff from 2001 to 2004.
“We do [keep in touch],” London said. “We haven’t talked here lately. I was glad that Danny could get the Richmond opportunity, because of course that’s where I graduated from and I have fond memories as a player and as a coach. Danny’s a good man and a good coach, and he’ll do well with the program for sure.”
The Virginia-Richmond connection stretches beyond London and the Roccos. Richmond quarterback John Laub, a redshirt senior, beat out Virginia transfer Michael Strauss for the starting job after spending four seasons as a backup to Eric Ward and Aaron Corp. Laub has started for Richmond in three games, going 2-1 in 2010 after Corp suffered an injury earlier in the season.
Laub will look for a strong performance from his fellow captain, senior fullback Kendall Gaskins. Gaskins was named a preseason All-American and had a strong performance against the Cavaliers in 2010 when he totaled 123 all-purpose yards, including 89 yards on the ground and two catches for 34 yards. Seventy of the 89 yards came from a touchdown run that tied the game up in the first quarter.
Richmond’s battle-tested offensive line should play a big part in protecting Laub and allowing Gaskins and other running backs to find the hole and the Cavilers knows it.
“They have a lot of really good players,” senior middle linebacker Steve Greer said. “They have a lot of offensive linemen returning. They have some really good running backs that are really talented, and their quarterback’s been there for a while. He can run and throw. We’re going to have to bring our A-game.”
The Spiders’ offense has many returning starters, but perhaps the most important player on the Richmond team is redshirt senior defensive back and team captain Cooper Taylor. Taylor was one of just 29 players from a non-Football Bowl Subdivison school named to the Senior Bowl Watch List last Friday, reserved for the nation’s best seniors and potential future NFL players. In eight games last season, Taylor recorded 63 tackles. Taylor transferred from Georgia Tech after the 2010 season, so he was not present during the 2010 matchup.
If Virginia hopes to improve on last season’s 8-5 record, London knows his players will have to focus on defeating a potentially dangerous in-state opponent.
“All we’ve talked about is Richmond … getting that taste back in your mouth is all about winning,” London said. “I think that’s the driving factor right now.”
Read More
Five Takeaways from Virginia’s Spring Game
By Peter Kriebel | 9 hours agoVirginia football is shaping up to make significant progress in 2024, led by an array of newcomers and promising underclassmen.
Women’s swimming and diving — the newest NCAA dynasty
By Grace Gould | 13 hours agoIn the end, regardless of which school is heralded as the greatest of all time historically, it is glaringly obvious that Virginia is the greatest women’s swimming school of the modern era.
No. 6 women’s lacrosse gets revenge on No. 14 North Carolina
By Matthew Ryeom | YesterdayThe Cavaliers' big third quarter propelled them to a key victory over the Tar Heels.
