Cavs get final non-conference test

A bruiser at heart, Rashawn Jackson is chomping at the bit.

Virginia’s starting fullback admittedly loves Big Ten football and follows it with a passion.

Jackson gets his wish today as Virginia (1-3), fresh off its first win in a year, hosts Indiana (3-2) at Scott Stadium at 3:30 p.m.

“Winning against UNC was good for our confidence and we can carry that into [today’s game],” Jackson said. “I respect Indiana and I respect the Big Ten.

“I really love the Big Ten. I look forward to playing those guys and it should be a very good game. You just know with the Big Ten that it is going to be a physical game and the toughest team should win.”

Indiana has lost back-to-back games in league play, falling to Ohio State and Michigan, after parading with ease through an early stretch of games to open the season.

In the 33-14 loss last week at home to No. 9 Ohio State, IU managed just 18 yards rushing on 26 carries.

A ranked opponent or not, the setback did not sit well with the coaching staff.

“You want to get to the point where losing is not acceptable,” said IU coach Bill Lynch. “You get chances and you are going to do everything you can to win a football game. You do not want to be in a situation where you just want to keep the game close or be respectful.”

With a win today, however, the Hoosiers can inch closer to the postseason, a feat they have accomplished just once in the past decade.

“Our players know we can finish our non-conference schedule undefeated,” Lynch said, “And I think there’s a little bit of a Big Ten school playing an ACC school.”

It will mark the lone time this season that an ACC foe will clash with a team from the Big Ten.

“We have a lot at stake,” Virginia quarterback Jameel Sewell said. “We like to think we play in one of the best leagues in the country, and I am sure the guys in the Big Ten feel the same way.”

Sewell, with a turnover-free performance against UNC, helped lift the Cavaliers to a victory last week.

Virginia bounces out of league play to complete its non-league slate today.

The Cavaliers did that last year, as well, hosting East Carolina after playing a league game.

“There seems to be a real excitement about the challenge of playing a Big Ten team and seeing some of the things that we did [against UNC], as I said after the game, provide us as an opportunity to use those things to move forward,” Virginia coach Al Groh said. “But there is no guarantee to that opportunity. We’ve got to make sure we take advantage of that opportunity or else somebody else is going to.

“So I think for that reason we will have our eye on this target pretty good.”

In preparing for Indiana, Groh witnessed numerous things that the Hoosiers do offensively outside of the norm.

“Indiana has a very, very diverse scheme,” Groh said. “They’re doing some pretty cool stuff. I’m impressed by their scheme. The quarterback, obviously, is a player who has the capacity to handle a lot of variation in what they do. They have many different personnel groups, some very unusual formations. They’ve got the whole passing package … they’ve got quite a bit in the ball-control, most-likely-to-be-completed game.

“They’ve got a nice play-action game and they will take their shots up the field. I wouldn’t say it’s beyond a normal amount but they’re going to threaten you up the field and he handles it all very, very well. You can see [IU quarterback Ben Chappell is] very smart, very accurate with what he’s done. He’s impressive in how he plays.”

Indiana’s running game, one that was non-existent against Ohio State, could struggle as running back Darius Willis was listed as questionable for the contest.

Virginia does not have the same issues, entering the contest without a player listed as doubtful for the first time.