Cavaliers bring on the speed

When Al Groh hired Gregg Brandon as Virginia’s new offensive coordinator just before Christmas, the head coach talked about how he expected some of the incoming recruits to enhance what the Cavaliers planned to do in opening up the offense.
On National Signing Day, several of those recruits officially became Wahoos, and Groh couldn’t help but smile about the possibilities.
Among the group of 25 were a half-dozen players capable of playing wide receiver for UVa: Javanti Sparrow, Tim Smith, Bobby Smith, Kevin Royal, LaRoy Reynolds and Quintin Hunter, who hails from nearby Orange. Groh reiterated Wednesday that the speed and versatility of these incoming players would permit Virginia to do more things with the spread offense that Brandon is so familiar, than last year’s team.
A percentage increase
“The last two years we’ve probably been 40 percent spread,” Groh said. “This [the 2009 offense] is a change, but it isn’t new. We had intended to do a great deal of [the spread] last year until our quarterback situation mandated that we not be as intricate with a rookie quarterback.”
Peter Lalich was the initial starter and had starred in a spread offense at West Springfield High under Bill Renner, throwing 500 passes his senior season. He had also been the primary backup at UVa as a true freshman, so he was well versed in what the coaching staff had planned.
The majority of those plans were shelved when Lalich was booted from the program by athletic director Craig Littlepage.
Now, Groh and Brandon and the rest of the staff can go back to the drawing board with these receivers on board.
“We were going in that direction [the spread] anyway,” Groh said. “Percentage-wise, it will jump up, but it won’t be exclusive.”
Fast fellows
What Groh really loves about these incoming receivers and backs is the speed they bring with them to a program in desperate need of improving in that area.
“Historically, dynamic speed on the edges has not been a hallmark of Virginia football,” Groh said.
He pointed to UVa’s history of sending players to the NFL. A quick glance reveals a number of tight ends, offensive linemen, some defensive linemen, a few linebackers. There’s not a lot of corners, wide receivers or safeties that have played in the league that have hailed from Wahoo Nation.
“This group coming in collectively probably brings as much speed as a group on both sides of the ball,” Groh said, but especially to wide receiver spots.
Groh couldn’t help but grin when he reviewed them one by one.
“Sparrow is a bona fide 400-meter guy. Battle has verifiable indoor 55-meter times and can really run. Tim Smith can run. He doesn’t have winter times, but is going to be out for spring track. Hunter and LaRoy Reynolds are real good basketball players. (Running back) Dominique Wallace is a spring track guy.”
The coach could have gone on about players on both sides of the ball, but this column is primarily about the guys that can spark an offense that has been somewhat dormant for the past few seasons. When Brandon talks about the offense, he talks about getting the ball into the hands of receivers and depending on them to turn six yards into 60.
Speed is part of that and with speedy guys already in the program like Jared Green and Javarius Brown, Brandon may have more options than he imagined for Virginia’s version of the spread this season.
Hunter, by the way, was on the receiving end of passes thrown by Brad Starkes before succeeding him at quarterback last season. Still, while Groh believes that Hunter could play quarterback at Virginia down the road, he would have an immediate chance of contributing as a wide receiver.
Just as much as speed, though, Groh likes the versatility.
“A lot of these have played different positions. They’re not just pass-catching specialists,” he said. “We play 12 games. If a receiver catches seven passes a game, that would be 84 for the season and there’s a good chance that would lead the ACC in receptions.
“If that’s the only seven plays he contributes a game, then what’s happening on the other 73 plays? Is he running routes with energy to get him open or getting someone else open? Is he blocking so we can run the ball effectively? Is he really playing football or is he only interested in those seven plays?”
A major factor in the spread is versatility. By having players who can do more than one thing, the offense suddenly gains an advantage on the defense.
If a quarterback can run as well as throw, and if receivers can run and throw as well as catch, and if runners can catch or throw, then all of a sudden the offense has an accumulation of skills that add up to more than 11. However, the defense doesn’t add up to more than 11.
In the recent NFL playoffs, when an Arizona back passed the ball to quarterback Kurt Warner and Warner then in turn threw the throwback pass to Larry Fitzgerald against the Eagles in a play that proved to be the difference.
“They added up to more than 11 because the runner could also throw,” Groh pointed out. “If you have a wide receiver who is spread out but you bring him in motion and having running skills, you can hand him the ball and have him run the sweep. Then, is it a spread or is it a two-back offense?
“Well, the defense is going to play it like a spread, but it’s actually going to turn into a two-back offense,” Groh explained. “Or, if you can toss the ball to a running back who is going wide and suddenly stops and throws the ball, you have a runner and a passer on the same play. You’ve got 12 guys. The defense is still planning for 11.”
In Groh’s eyes, Hunter can do that. Perry Jones, a running back/defensive back can do that. Sparrow, Smith, and on, and on, and on . Versatility.
Even linebacker Tucker Windle out of Charlotte, N.C., is considered a defensive guy, but Groh believes somewhere down the line that Windle could line up and play fullback in a goal line offense because he has those kind of skills.
Speed and versatility. Just what the doctor ordered for this anemic offense.