Hall does it all for Cavaliers

BLACKSBURG

All week long, the Hokies had heard whispers that Virginia might have a few tricks up its sleeves for the 90th clash between the crusty old rivals.

Their spies were spot-on.

Still, when the underdog Cavaliers showed up at Lane Stadium with junior defensive back Vic Hall making his first appearance at quarterback since his high school days, stopping him was the hard part.

Hall played his heart out on both sides of the ball, and the Cavaliers nearly pulled off the upset in a dramatic, 17-14 loss.

An all-around star turn

All he did was rush for 109 yards, the most by a UVa quarterback since Marques Hagans hung 110 on Syracuse in 2005, including a 40-yard run for one of his two touchdowns. As a cornerback, his normal position, Hall recorded three tackles, one a sack and forced a fumble that Tech recovered, and another that saved a touchdown on Hokies quarterback Tyrod Taylor’s 73-yard run early in the second half.

Not a bad day’s work. But in the end, it wasn’t enough.

“I would have given it all up if we could have left here today with a win for our seniors,” Hall said afterward.

For those who haven’t had the pleasure, that’s Vic Hall. For those who have, the ones who watched him become the state of Virginia’s most prolific offensive machine in four years at Gretna High, they knew it already.

They’ve been clamoring for Virginia coach Al Groh to give Hall a crack at quarterback for three years.

Finally, someone listened.

Pulling out all the stops

With the Cavaliers’ offense bogged down by interceptions by starting quarterback Marc Verica during a three-game losing streak heading into this week, why not give him a chance? What did UVa have to lose? The Cavs hadn’t won in Lane Stadium since 1998 and had lost eight of nine to the Hokies.

So, when Groh came to Hall with the scheme early in the week, Hall said he was more than excited.

“I was very jacked up ... all smiles, but focused,” Hall said. “I was ready to go.”

Groh said that he felt the Cavaliers needed a spark.

“Last week [a 13-3 loss to Clemson] we were right there and it was pretty obvious what the difference between those two teams were — turning the ball over,” Groh said. “We needed somebody to believe in and there’s nobody on this team that the players and the coaches believe in more than Vic Hall and he certainly confirmed that to everybody today.”

Virginia Tech coach Frank Beamer said that he had heard all week that Virginia might play Hall at quarterback, but thought his defense adjusted well to the change. UVa used Hall for most of the 46 offensive snaps, while Verica mostly came in to throw the ball (8 of 14 for 77 yards and one costly pick).

While the Cavaliers had five or six passing plays in Hall’s package out of what Hall labeled the “Hoo Cat,” a takeoff of the wildly popular wildcat formation, he didn’t attempt but one and it was incomplete.

Hey, what do you expect from a guy who only practiced quarterback for a week?

“We thought they might do it but didn’t know to the extent of it,” Tech defensive coordinator Bud Foster said of Virginia’s scheme. “That’s probably the biggest surprise, how much they did it. Hall’s a great athlete. I’m surprised they haven’t used that more.”

Virginia fans are lamenting that fact, thinking they could have possibly been packing their bags for Tampa and for a bowl game had that been the case.

Groh wasn’t sure if Hall, who stands 5-foot-9, 190 pounds, could handle the challenge of playing the quarterback position over the course of a season.

“He’s not a big man,” Groh said. “Four months of that, who knows if he would be able to withstand that [physical punishment].”

In fact, Groh pointed out that trainers told UVa coaches at one point in the game that Hall wasn’t available to go back out.

“Fortunately, that was only the case for a few seconds,” Groh said.

Still there was no questioning Hall’s toughness or effectiveness against the No. 8 ranked defense in the country.

Groh called Hall a great football player and an awesome competitor.

“To do that on a few days worth of practice is unbelievable,” Groh said. “To have two touchdown runs and a sack [on defense] in a game is a pretty awesome performance on his part. He held up every end of his bargain. It’s a shame that we didn’t have a few more points that his performance won’t be remembered forever because we got three less points. But it has to be one of the best performances ever in this series by an individual player.”

Coaches divulged that Hall had made the same kinds of runs all week in practice that he did against the Hokies.

Two of those were spectacular, a 40-yard scamper through Tech’s defense on the first possession of the game for a stunning 7-0 Wahoo lead, and a 39-yard bolt through the Hokies to the Tech 24 late in the fourth quarter. He darted through a gap on the right side of the line, then cut against the grain in an exhausting run that left him gassed.

Three plays later, Verica came in and his pass attempt to Kevin Ogletree in the end zone was intercepted by Tech’s Dorian Porch, the same guy who had chased down Hall a couple of plays earlier.

For Hall, it was an opportunity he’ll never forget. Practice, game, high school, college, whatever — he’s still the same.

“I always felt I could do this ... there was never a doubt in my mind,” Hall said. “The proof is in the pudding.”

Hall did admit that he felt some pressure when he took over the quarterbacking duties, but credited offensive coordinator Mike Groh, running backs coach Anthony Poindexter and line coach Dave Borbely for putting in the time to help him understand his mission and presenting the package to the entire offense.

“He ran those plays all week long pretty much like he did today,” Groh said. “He’s got quickness, he’s got eyes, he’s got guts. He’s a hell of a player. How could you not be impressed?”

Give Virginia credit. Better late than never in terms of throwing caution to the wind in a desperate attempt to break Tech’s strong grip on this rivalry.

Still, one wonders why it took so long for Virginia’s coaches to take advantage of Hall’s skills. Had they tried this earlier, wouldn’t the Cavaliers be going bowling? Might they, instead of the Hokies, not be in sunny Tampa next Saturday for the ACC championship?

Groh said he doesn’t play the ‘what if’ game.

“That’s not the way I live,” he said about second-guessing or looking back.

What of the future, though, as far as Hall is concerned?

Groh said, “We’ll have to wait and see.”

He’s not convinced Hall can take the physical pounding. Hall believes he can, but will do whatever the coaches ask him to do.

“He’s our all-around MVP,” said UVa senior linebacker Clint Sintim of Hall. “To play a position he hasn’t played since high school and really put this team on his back is exceptional.”

Hall said that although in his own opinion that he could best help the Cavaliers next season as a defensive back, he has harbored dreams of being an offensive juggernaut for the Cavaliers. He wouldn’t mind giving quarterback another try. He knows it’s out of his hands.

“We have two good quarterbacks coming back, but at any point and time, I would be willing to do this again,” Hall said.

Vic Hall held up his end of the bargain. Virginia’s coaches need to follow suit and make this kid a part, in some form or the other, a regular part of the Cavaliers’ offense.

Maybe, just maybe if that happens, they won’t be sitting home next December.