[caption id=“attachment_46474” align=“alignleft” width=“300” caption=“Sophomore quarterback Michael Rocco has started all five of Virginia’s games this season, compiling two passing touchdowns, two rushing scores, seven interceptions and a team-best 63.1 completion percentage.
[caption id="attachment_46292" align="alignleft" width="200" caption="Junior Perry Jones used his shifty feet and small stature to burn the Idaho defense for a career-high 110 yards on 21 carries out of the backfield.
[caption id="attachment_46223" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Freshman quarterback David Watford nearly overcame a late 11-point deficit against Southern Miss, finishing with 103 all-purpose yards, a passing touchdown and a two-point conversion after replacing injured sophomore Michael Rocco.
[caption id="attachment_45919" align="alignleft" width="146" caption="Junior outside linebacker LaRoy Reynolds recorded a team-high 12 tackles and also forced a key fumble but could not prevent a big play late from Southern Miss.
[caption id="attachment_45868" align="alignleft" width="192" caption="Sophomore quarterback Michael Rocco has completed 61.1 percent of his passes for 652 yards.
Last Saturday's tussle against North Carolina at Chapel Hill held special meaning for Virginia redshirt freshman running back Kevin Parks.
[caption id="attachment_45528" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Senior fullback Max Milien snagged a short pass from sophomore quarterback Michael Rocco and took it the distance during the third quarter.
[caption id="attachment_45466" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Junior linebacker Steve Greer recorded seven tackles against Indiana to bring his total on the season to nine, the third-most on the team.
[caption id="attachment_45323" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Senior kicker Robert Randolph earned his second consecutive National Placekicker of the Week award after his 23-yard field goal handed the Cavaliers a 34-31 victory.
[caption id="attachment_45188" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="The Virginia football team celebrates after senior kicker Robert Randolph drilled a 23-yard field goal to knock off the Hoosiers.
[caption id="attachment_45144" align="alignleft" width="245" caption="Freshman cornerback Demetrious Nicholson highlighted a strong defensive performance against William & Mary, returning an interception for 31 yards.
[caption id="attachment_44921" align="alignleft" width="161" caption="During his debut as starting quarterback, sophomore Michael Rocco demonstrated poise and patience in the pocket en route to a 21-for-29 passing performance.
[caption id="attachment_44827" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Redshirt freshman tailback Kevin Parks pounded William & Mary for three touchdowns and 114 yards during his debut.
ACC Commissioner John Swofford addresses a hall filled with reporters, attempting to convince the room that his conference's recent NCAA infractions are an aberration, not a trend. "Any time one of our schools has an NCAA problem, wherever it is, whichever one it is, I'm disappointed and concerned because that's not who we are as a league," he said. Swofford paints a picture of the ACC as a balanced conference - one that may not have produced recent national championships, but still prides itself on sending players to the NFL.
Virginia's four-way quarterback competition dominated preseason press, but perhaps more important than the arm throwing the ball are the hands which will catch it. "I think the better our receivers are in running their routes, the better it's going to make it for those young quarterbacks to throw where they're supposed to throw," coach Mike London said.
A bowl game - it's in the forefront of collegiate players' minds all across the nation. And while many gridiron warriors mask their desires for a coveted postseason appearance with a one-game-at-a-time attitude, wide receiver Kris Burd and the rest of the seniors on the Virginia football team are not shying away from the fact that they are already freeing up their schedule during the months of December and January. "Our first year, we went to the Gator Bowl, and I feel like you're not really experiencing college football without going to a bowl game," Burd said.
[caption id="attachment_44710" align="alignleft" width="278" caption="Senior defensive end Cam Johnson highlights the group of 10 defensive starters which the Virginia coaching staff welcomed back for the 2011 campaign.
While the Virginia football team has struggled to make its mark in the win column during the past three losing seasons, the Cavaliers, nevertheless, have continued to churn out plenty of NFL-caliber players.
[caption id="attachment_44561" align="alignleft" width="196" caption="After jockeying for the role of starting signal caller throughout training camp, sophomore Michael Rocco nabbed a vote of confidence from the Virginia coaching staff.
When people ask Virginia coach Mike London who the ideal football player is, his answer is simple: Chase Minnifield. "On the field, off the field, in the classroom - you can point to Chase Minnifield being the model," London said. Minnifield's coach is not the only one, however, who is recognizing the All-ACC senior cornerback's exemplary efforts.
