Cavs hit the ground running

For better or worse, Virginia’s opening football practice session this afternoon will provide a host of newcomers the chance to make a first impression.
Virginia opens its ninth training camp under coach Al Groh today at 2:30 p.m. in a newly-announced open session for fans that will be held at the practice fields next to the McCue Center.
Early pecking orders — albeit premature as it will the first of 16 practice sessions — will be visible at numerous positions from the
trenches to the secondary to the quarterbacks.
Another battle of note in the eyes of many in the fan base comes in the suddenly crowded backfield that offers options in all speeds, shapes and sizes.
The starting job entering camp remains senior running back Mikell Simpson’s to lose given the depth chart, his experience and the explosive nature by which he ran during a head-turning finish to the campaign in 2007. After waiting in the wings that season, Simpson emerged in the eighth game against Maryland and finished the year with 570 yards on the ground and 402 through the air.
Simpson struggled last season, suddenly appearing mortal in the shadow of Cedric Peerman. He gained just 262 rushing yards, despite touchdowns in the first two games, and failed to carry the ball more than 20 yards on a single play before being sacked with a season-ending shoulder injury in the ninth game.
With his impressive finish to the ’07 season coming as he was the
feature back, it raised the question of whether Simpson needed more work to get into a rhythm.
“Certainly if you ask the runners they would clearly want to be in there all the time,” Groh said. “I think when you can do that it is advantageous.”
There has been a Catch-22 for many of the nation’s top-tier programs. With an increased workload comes the greater risk of injury.
Just ask Groh. He has had ample reason to feel snakebit.
“One of the things that we are really sensitive to at the position is, as we have assessed certain things about the state of the program, is every top running back we’ve had here, every one of them has been hurt during the course of the season,” Groh pointed out.
The Cavaliers’ unfortunate pattern started moments into Groh’s arrival as the coach at his alma mater back in 2001.
A year after leading the ACC in rushing, tailback Antwoine Womack suffered a high ankle sprain in the first quarter of the season opener at Wisconsin.
The wet field-induced injury, which Groh called “unlucky,” required surgery and cost Womack 10 games.
It has continued since at a rapid clip moving forward with notable ball-toting players such as Wali Lundy, Alvin Pearman, Jason Snelling, Peerman and Simpson falling victim to injuries.
“[In 2002] Pearman had his knee operated on,” Groh said. “The next year, Wali Lundy broke his foot in the first game. The next year, Jason Snelling got hurt right away.
“Cedric Peerman missed half the season and then he got hurt in the first game of the next season. Simpson got hurt and missed the second half of the season. Certainly it is a position where durability is an issue.”
With that said, it is understandable why Groh will elect to work fullback Rashawn Jackson and tailbacks Torrey Mack, Max Milien, Keith Payne and Dominique Wallace into the mix in training camp.
Groh said teams “really have to have three put-in-the-game players in order to always have two available.”
While Jackson and Payne are both listed at 245 pounds, size is of concern with Simpson (200) and Mack (195), “so the durability issue there is certainly one that has the possibility of coming up,” Groh said.
Given the uncertainty of what Virginia’s new-look spread offense will incorporate, how the on-field opportunities will pan out remain a mystery that Groh would just assume avoid.
“We would like to say in a perfect world that you could give the ball to one guy 25 times a game for 12 weeks,” he said, “but there are not many guys who can hold up through that.”
Extra points
Virginia announced late Thursday afternoon that the four open practice opportunities for fans would be held today, Saturday, Sunday and on Thursday. Each session is free and open to the public and slated to start at
2:30 p.m.