A dream matchup for UVa D-backs?

Defensive backs dream about games like Virginia’s matchup today against visiting Duke. Well, they dream about them as long as things go their way.

Otherwise, the dream turns into a nightmare.

Shouldn’t take too long to figure out what kind of day it will be for the Cavaliers, ranked the top pass defense in the ACC and the fifth-best in the entire country, once they take the field against the Blue Devils.

The Devils, you see, are the conference’s top passing team and the No. 6 passing team in the nation.

Something’s gotta give.

No swelled heads

The Cavaliers haven’t really taken a lot of pride in their statistical achievement because, well, they really just didn’t know about it. Coaches like it that way, so the players won’t get too cocky.

“I didn’t even know we were ranked fifth in the country,” UVa senior cornerback Chris Cook said this week. “I don’t really look at statistics, I just go out and play the game. Everybody in the secondary thinks the same ... we don’t want to give up any big plays. We want to lock down every receiver, even in practice. I don’t want anyone to catch the ball on me.”

The Cavaliers’ secondary will take that mentality into today’s game (3:30 p.m. at Scott Stadium) against one of the hottest passing arms in college football in Duke’s Thaddeus Lewis, who could rewrite all of the Blue Devils’ passing records by season’s end.

A couple of weeks ago, the quarterback completed 40 of 50 passes against N.C. State, leaving everyone who witnessed it stunned by the eye-popping numbers.

Duke coach David Cutcliffe said it was the best performance he had ever seen by a quarterback.

Oh, by the way, Cutcliffe coached Peyton and Eli Manning.

Any questions?

Moving up the list

Lewis has already thrown for 8,624 career yards and 63 TDs. Two more against Virginia today and he’ll be tied for fifth in ACC history in the touchdown passes category.

Certainly, he will be filling the air over Scott Stadium today with leather rainbows.

That’s what will keep Cook and fellow cornerback Ras-I Dowling and the rest of UVa’s secondary busy all day.

Every time Duke snaps the ball, there’s a 58.6 percent chance it’s going to be a pass. Quite an adjustment from last week when Georgia Tech, the nation’s fifth-ranked rushing team, came to town. About 85 percent of the time it was a run, which kind of lulled UVa’s defensive backs to sleep.

“I like teams to throw the ball,” Cook said. “[Georgia Tech] was kind of putting me to sleep without seeing too many runs or passes over to my side. It wasn’t boring, though. It’s never boring when you’re out on the field.”

Both Cook and Dowling are big, physical corners that believe they can play with anyone, so it will be interesting to see the matchups against Duke’s receiving corps, which boasts four wideouts that are all threats.

Cutcliffe, who has breathed life into a Duke program that was the butt of football jokes for years, has a great deal of respect for Virginia’s defense, which he describes as the hardest hitting defensive team that the Blue Devils will play.

“There’s a big front, big linebackers that are explosive, and their secondary is special,” Cutcliffe said. “It’s not a mistake that they lead the conference in pass defense. What a matchup, in that regard. That should be a lot of fun to see where it all falls on Saturday.”

Neither the Devils nor the Cavaliers are very proficient this season when it comes to putting pressure on the opposing quarterback (the two teams are tied for last in the ACC in sacks with 10 each), so Lewis might have time to pick Virginia apart if coach Al Groh’s front seven can’t apply the heat.

Groh realizes that Cutcliffe possesses great skill in developing quarterbacks and the passing game as evidenced by Lewis’ growth the past two seasons under the tutelage of the former Ole Miss head coach and Tennessee offensive coordinator.

Cook and company will be looking for the pass almost all day long against the Devils. Duke’s running backs must feel like a small collection of Maytag repairmen — the loneliest guys in town, as the old commercial used to go.

Duke is last in the league in rushing at about 74 yards a game. Then again, why run the ball if you can complete a high percentage of your passes for about 400 yards per outing?

The Devils will be trying to win their third straight ACC game, a streak unheard of in recent Blue Devils annals. They hammered the Cavaliers in Durham last season, scoring 28 points in the second half from a turnover-happy UVa team after a 3-3 halftime tie.

Virginia can draw even overall today with a win at 4-4, but more importantly could move into second place in the ACC’s Coastal Division at 3-1.

Like Cutcliffe said, it should be fun to see where things fall this afternoon.

Dream or nightmare?