Still work to do to return power to UVa attack

If new coach Mike London is serious about returning a power running attack to Virginia football, then there’s a lot more work to do.

Judging from Saturday’s annual spring game, the running game isn’t ready. Of the 64 scrimmage plays run at the end of the Scott Stadium drills, 27 were rushing plays that netted but 26 yards.

Ouch!

Of course, spring games rarely reveal what a football team is truly all about. There are still parts of London’s offense that hasn’t been implemented and coaches essentially consider a spring game event just another practice, so they are looking for certain things from certain players. It’s all part of the experiment.

Still, from an outsider’s point of view, there wasn’t a whole lot out there Saturday that’s going to keep Frank Beamer and the other Coastal Division coaches up at night over the summer.

Consider that Keith Payne, the running back who looks like a linebacker — and the guy who left the team last year for a variety of reasons — was the scrimmage’s leading rusher with 29 yards and a short-yardage touchdown on six carries. Smallish Perry Jones racked up 24 yards on four carries.

While London strongly emphasized how much he likes his collection of backs, we would be willing to bet that the rushing numbers in rival Virginia Tech’s upcoming spring game will overshadow the Cavaliers in a big way.

“I like our backs ... I like ’em,” London said afterward.

What he likes most is the variety. From big backs like Payne and Dominique Wallace (recovering from last year’s injury) and new fullback Terence Fells-Danzer (26-yard reception out of the backfield) to smaller, quicker backs such as Jones and incoming freshman Kevin Parks, to Torrey Mack, who is a little of both, there are all kinds of backs on the roster.

“It may be situational,” London said. “You look at Jones. Some teams might decide that when he’s in, they’ll blitz him, forcing him to block a linebacker.”

London would then insert a bigger back like Payne, who can block and run like a fullback.

One thing the Cavaliers haven’t put in yet, but have discussed is putting two tailbacks in the game, something they haven’t had time to do in 12 practices (including two scrimmages) this spring.

The offensive line, a sore spot last season, remains a question mark in the minds of most Wahoo fans.

An early series Saturday was a painful reminder of how inefficient the running game was last season. After a nine-yard gain on a first-down play, the Cavs failed to get the first down in the next two rushing plays.

“I think it’s always a work in progress with guys,” London said of his line. “I also think the guys they’re blocking against are pretty good. We need to come off the ball and knock people back and I know we can do that. We also need to develop a toughness and attitude about doing that.”

London said he has seen some of that in recent practices, but that UVa’s defense rose to the occasion Saturday and made it tough to run the ball.

“We are still a project,” London said.

The fact that two massive incoming offensive linemen, Morgan Moses and Cody Wallace (both currently at Fork Union Military Academy) were standing on the sideline, must have made London feel better about what’s ahead.

For now though, there’s some work to do for the offensive coaching staff to make the Cavaliers a unit that will eventually keep opposing coaches up at night.