“It was scary at first, because we are on an island and you really don’t have anybody next to you when you are in a tight situation,” said right guard B.J. Cabbell. “But mainly it is all about confidence. If you are confident in your ability, you shouldn’t have a problem.”

Weeks ago, Virginia right guard B.J. Cabbell threw in a video from last season’s opening game against Southern Cal.

When comparing the career tracks of a pair of offensive linemen, Virginia’s newly-appointed starter at left tackle appears light years ahead of schedule.

Certainly, there have been many factors in Virginia’s reversal of fortunes on the football field over the past month: a quarterback who gets it, a tough-minded defense, the return of Cedric Peerman and Kevin Ogletree’s ability to stretch opposing defenses, just to name a few. One that is often overlooked is the steady improvement of the offensive line.

Last year was a good time to be Dave Borbely, in his second season as Virginia’s offensive line coach. From stem to stern, he had veteran linemen at every spot, including first-round NFL draft choice Branden Albert at guard. That was last year.