Line play keys UVa’s resurgence

When George O’Leary had it going at Georgia Tech back in the ‘90s, just before he left for Notre Dame, he gave away the secret to his success.

O’Leary said his priority every year in recruiting was to scour the country to find the best offensive linemen that he and his coaching staff could lure to Atlanta. The practice worked pretty well, but it revealed to fans what every coach knows: if you can control the line of scrimmage, you can do whatever you want offensively.

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.

Making the leap

“A big, huge leap,” is how UVa coach Al Groh described it. “As we evaluated it on Aug. 4, it was a leap that was going to be necessary. Expected, but not guaranteed.”

The coaching staff, mainly O-line coach Dave Borbely, wasn’t worried about the Cavs’ bookend tackles — Eugene Monroe on the left and Will Barker on the right. Monroe, who has 24 career starts, is the best collegiate left tackle in the nation. Barker, who has 33 career starts, has been at his spot since his freshman season.

It was the middle of the sandwich that worried everyone. Sophomore B.J. Cabbell, a homegrown kid from Nelson County High, was inexperienced at right guard, while sophomore Jack Shields was green at center. Zak Stair, a senior, had clocked some time at various locations on the line and was ready for his turn at left guard.

Still, the offensive line has to be a cohesive unit. It’s one of those deals where they have to anticipate each other’s moves and have trust in one another.

Former UVa All-American guard Elton Brown once said that if you look over and see fear in the eyes of your fellow offensive linemen, then you know things aren’t going to go well.

Cavs come together

That sort of bond, a trust, only comes from playing time and practice. It doesn’t just happen magically overnight. There’s no Offensive Line Fairy who sprinkles fairy dust over a group of big uglies as they sleep. It comes from blood, sweat, and sometimes tears.

Even UVa’s plans didn’t remain totally intact with this group of wide bodies. Stair went down with an injury and that placed incredible pressure on

17-year-old Austin Pasztor, a Canadian transplant, to start at left guard, where he has played admirably (he was named ACC rookie of the week for his play against Maryland).

Monroe and Barker have also been singled out as ACC offensive linemen of the week. And with good reason.

So far, Virginia leads the ACC in sack prevention. The Cavaliers’ line has given up only nine sacks in eight games (1.13 per game). That’s also the 18th-best figure in the nation.

Only powerful Southern California got more than one (in the season opener). The Trojans have recorded 18 sacks in seven games. Last week, Georgia Tech’s aggressive defense, boasting the nation’s top defensive end prospect in Michael Johnson, only got one sack in 41 UVa pass attempts.

That came against Monroe, who is ranked as the best left tackle on draft guru Mel Kiper’s board (Johnson is ranked as the best DE on that board).

Barker was named the ACC’s top lineman last week, an improvement that Groh and Borbely were glad to see. Groh acknowledged that Barker’s play has picked up since an off-the-field incident involving beer at a nightspot in town, had been resolved.

“I haven’t asked him about that, but I think that’s realistic,” Groh said of the case. “It’s a weighty matter to hang over any kid’s head, particularly when it’s given probably the unnecessary public scrutiny that it got. He’s a kid who tries to do the right thing and it bothered him. Probably once that deck was properly cleared, it enabled him to relax a little bit.”

Cabbell, known as a guy with a lot of physical punch, has perhaps somewhat surprised people with his mobility. He has pulled from right guard to lead some devastating sweeps around left end, clearing the way for the hard-running Cedric Peerman.

Pasztor and Shields have been steadily improving as well. Groh calls the addition of Pasztor a good thing for the line.

“He’s a rough and tumble, physical presence,” Groh said. “He’s a little bit raw, but his injection has been positive.”

Not only has Virginia’s line protected rookie quarterback Marc Verica, but it has opened up big holes and adequate cracks in opposing lines for Peerman and others to blow through.

The Cavaliers’ running attack jumped from an average of 66 yards on the ground in the first four games to 146.8 in the last four.

As any coach will tell you, the run opens up the pass, and the pass (particularly play-action) opens up the run. Remember what we said about controlling the line of scrimmage allowing offenses to do whatever they want?

That’s what’s going on with the Wahoos thanks to this line.

The left side of the line could be renamed the Monroe-Pasztor Mountain Range. Monroe stands 6-foot-6, 315 pounds and Pasztor — only 17 years old — is 6-6, 310.

Verica said he had never been around human beings this large in his life, but he’s sure glad they’re on his side.

Cabbell isn’t exactly a lightweight at 6-6, 304.

When a defensive end or linebacker sees all that coming their way, along with a fullback and tight end, it must be horrifying.

“Fortunately ever one of the five is playing better now than they did in the beginning and collectively as a group, they’re playing much more cohesively,” Groh said.

If Virginia is to keep its winning streak intact at high noon against a young, fast Miami team, then the offensive linemen are going to be the key. Give them the credit they deserve.