That gap figures to be smaller this season for two reasons. First, McMullen is sure to be the focus of every opponent's defense, which may cut down on his catches. Also, the Cavaliers believe they have more threats in the passing game than they did a year ago.

"If defenses decide to key on Billy, I think we've got a lot of guys who can make them pay," said junior Michael McGrew.

McGrew, in particular, seems poised for a breakout season. He caught 31 passes last year, one more than McMullen did as a sophomore. He had 21 receptions in the final seven games, including a seven-catch outing against Wake Forest. He followed that up with an impressive spring and a strong first week of preseason camp.

"I'm very pleased with the progress that Mike McGrew has made," said UVa coach Al Groh. "He'll be a really good college football player."

The team's other receivers include sophomore Ottawa Anderson, who caught 11 passes as a true freshman, and junior Ryan Sawyer. A pair of freshmen, Ron Morton and Kenneth Tynes, also could make an impact.

Morton, the fastest of the wideouts, has set high goals for his first season. "I'd like to catch as many balls as Billy," he said.

Don't count on that. But if there is a more even distribution of passes this season, McMullen said he won't complain.

"If I have to be a decoy sometimes, if I don't catch as many balls, that's fine. I'll do whatever it takes to help the team," he said. "But don't get me wrong. I want the ball. And when I get the ball, I'm going to do something with it."

Schaub sharp. The person responsible for getting the receivers the ball, junior quarterback Matt Schaub, also is making steady progress, Groh said.

"I think the biggest difference is the decisions are coming much faster," said the coach. "I think that's one of the most overlooked aspects of playing quarterback."

Schaub has gotten quicker with his reads and throws through his experience last season, when he threw 240 passes, and by watching hours of film in the offseason.

His backup, redshirt freshman Marques Hagans, is getting better at seeing the field and making good decisions. But some days, Groh said, "it's like he's looking through wax paper."

Beating the heat. The Cavaliers have been practicing nearly every day in 90-plus degree weather, but Groh said the heat has not affected the team's preparation.

Players drink plenty of water during practice and are granted frequent breaks, he said, but that is normal. Last year, a handful of players died of heat-related causes on the high school, college and pro levels. But Groh said his teams have always taken precautions to avoid that situation wherever he has coached.

Many players are cooling off after practice by sitting in plastic trash cans filled with ice water.

"Even though it's hot, guys aren't complaining," said sophomore defensive end Chris Canty. "Practices have been hard and intense. We're not letting the heat get to us."

Still, the players surely will be happy with this forecast: Temperatures dipping into the 80s for the rest of the week.

Extra points. The Cavaliers are holding open practices at 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. each day this week on the fields behind University Hall. Fans are asked to pick up a free entry pass at the football reception desk in the McCue Center. … Sophomore kicker Bryan Smith, who missed the spring with a torn knee ligament, is healthy enough to kick again. But Groh said doctors are concerned about his knee's ability to withstand a hit, so Smith's action is limited for now. … Bryan White, who earned playing time at outside linebacker as a true freshman, is practicing at the outside and inside linebacker spots.

On a media day when Al Groh's answers were often short and to the point, the Virginia coach waxed poetic on his fullback's attributes.

"[Luzar's] a very dependable player. Dependability, in terms of putting a team together, is an ability just like speed is. … Toughness is a talent. Competitiveness is a talent. If they weren't talents, everyone would have them to the same degree," Groh said.

Not surprisingly, what the Cavaliers need now is a dependable back. Last year's starting fullback, Tyree Foreman, graduated and junior Jonathan Ward left the team for medical reasons.

That's where Luzar comes in.

After spending last season as a tight end, Luzar was moved into the fullback spot during spring practice. He's expected to start when the Cavaliers take the field later this month against Colorado State.

While it's never easy to change positions, Luzar feels that the transition from tight end to fullback is easier than you think.

"For me it wasn't too bad because the things I'm doing at fullback are a lot of the things I did at tight end last year in the two tight end set," he said. "I know the concepts of the plays and not just what I'm supposed to do."

It helps that the two positions share several common characteristics. They lack some of the glamour of the other skill positions, and it's easier to make up for blazing speed with strength and determination.

Luzar concurs: "If I'm not the receiver that Billy [McMullen] is or a runner like Alvin [Pearman] is, then I guess I have to know my role."

Groh realizes this as well, but he's happy with the player he's got.

"If you ran him for time, he's not a player who would have one of the faster vertical times. But he blazed them in that running test [Wednesday]," Groh said. "He made his weight right on the button. He's highly trained. This is a player who is obviously highly motivated."

The former walk-on feels that blocking - a key responsibility for both fullbacks and tight ends - is his main strength, but he'll "be happy to catch anything they throw" his way.

Luzar caught 12 passes for 49 yards last season as the second tight end.

This isn't the first time that the 6-foot-2, 235-pound junior will line up in the backfield for the Cavaliers. In 2000, Luzar was tried out at fullback for the practice squad - taking on Virginia's first team defense - before being moved back to tight end.

"[Playing on the scout team] was hitting [former Virginia standouts] Yubrenal Isabelle and Byron Thweatt. I got headaches from those guys," Luzar said.

Now, two years after his last stint at fullback, Luzar is ready to lead, both on and off the field.

"I don't think I'm the kind of guy who's going to talk and get people fired up. … The kind of people I've always looked up to are the guys who work hard."

For Groh, that means a better football team.

"One thing that can never be underestimated is the toll undependability takes on winning. … [Luzar] is a guy who is on top of the scale in terms of dependability."

"She told me, 'You either have to play a sport or get a job,'" Canty recalled with a smile. "I really didn't want to work, so I started playing football."

As it turns out, Canty has worked hard at his relatively new sport and now, four years later, seems to have a bright future in it. A redshirt sophomore defensive end, he has packed on about 50 pounds since his arrival at Virginia, giving him an imposing 6-foot-7, 290-pound physique.

Still only 19 and with just one season of college football experience, Canty is "an evolving talent," according to UVa coach Al Groh.

The Cavaliers need Canty to evolve in a hurry. With no proven pass rusher on the defensive line, they want him to fill that role as well as contain the run. He had no sacks in 200 plays last season, but he was slowed early by a sprained ankle and was too light at 262 pounds.

Now Canty "is pretty close to a pretty good example of what we're looking for" at defensive end, Groh said. He is much bigger and stronger, but he has retained the agility of a basketball player. He was an all-conference player in both sports at Charlotte (N.C.) Latin School.

"I just expect great and amazing things from myself this year," said Canty, who made 23 tackles as a backup last season. "I really need to turn it up a notch. It doesn't really matter how many sacks I have as long as I'm doing whatever I can to help the team win."

Canty may be a converted hoopster, but he has a football mentality.

"One of the things that's notable about Chris is he has a very high contact level, especially for a basketball player who normally tries to avoid contact," Groh said. "He likes the physical part of the game. I guess that's why he chose football."

Canty doesn't regret that choice. Though he still likes basketball, he knows he is more unique on the football field.

"People say I still look like a power forward, even with this weight," he said. "But you see lots of 6-7 guys on the basketball court. You don't see a 6-7 defensive end every day."

Doing it all. Senior linebacker Angelo Crowell, who played nearly every defensive snap last season, apparently wants to be on the field even more.

He has volunteered to help out with punt coverage. On Tuesday, he practiced returning punts with the other candidates for the job.

It was all in fun - there's virtually no chance Groh will use him as a punt returner - but it showed his enthusiasm for the game. ("I can do this!" he laughed.) Teammates also got a kick out of seeing him high-step down the sideline after fielding a punt.

"Get him out of there, coach!" yelled cornerback Jamaine Winborne. "He's terrible!"

Groh wasn't about to yank Crowell off the field.

"We always tell them, 'The more you can do…'" Groh said. "So obviously he was listening."

Cooling down. After practicing in 90-plus degree temperatures for the first week of training camp, Tuesday's milder weather came as welcome relief for the Cavaliers.

Groh said he was glad the players had to deal with heat for a while, but with the opener still 15 days away, cooler practices might be helpful.

"We're kind of in the phase of the dog days here," he said. "There's no light at the end of the tunnel yet. … This kind of refreshes things at this stage."

Extra points. The Cavaliers are holding open practices at 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. each day this week on the fields behind University Hall. Fans are asked to pick up a free entry pass at the football reception desk in the McCue Center. … The four players (besides Crowell) working out at punt returner are all freshmen: Michael Johnson, Tony Franklin, Stefan Orange and Marcus Hamilton. … Single-game tickets still remain for the Aug. 22 opener against Colorado State.

Heath Miller came to Virginia last year expecting to throw footballs, not catch them. He also figured he would be running away from defensive ends and linebackers, not blocking them.

But the lifelong quarterback from tiny Honaker High School in Swords Creek found himself learning a new position shortly after his arrival. Switched to tight end, he had to get accustomed to doing things on the field that didn't come naturally.

"It was all new to me," Miller said Wednesday. "I had to learn how to block. I had to learn how to run routes. It wasn't easy, but I was happy to do it."

As Miller quickly realized when he came to preseason camp last August, it would be a long time (if ever) before he played quarterback in a game for the Cavaliers. There were a bunch of QBs ahead of him on the depth chart, mostly sophomores and freshmen. He could be buried on the bench, or he could find a new position.

So when UVa coach Al Groh invited Miller to move to tight end early in the season, he readily agreed.

As Groh noted, it is not an unusual switch. At smaller high schools, especially, the best athlete plays quarterback, even if he is better suited to another position. Miller threw for nearly 3,500 yards and rushed for more than 1,500 in two seasons as Honaker's quarterback, earning Group A offensive player of the year honors as a senior.

But Miller was "not an overwhelming natural thrower," Groh said. And at 6-foot-5 and 234 pounds, he looked more like a linebacker or tight end.

"It was pretty apparent that unless he was going to be Daunte Culpepper," Groh said, referring to the Minnesota Vikings' super-sized quarterback, "that body-wise he was going to grow out of that position."

Miller redshirted last season and has put on about 20 pounds while growing into his new position. Now he is involved in one of the most competitive training camp battles for a starting spot. The other top candidate at tight end is 6-7, 258-pound sophomore Patrick Estes, who caught three passes as a true freshman.

Estes says he has added strength and speed and gotten more adept at running routes. "I'm getting open more," he said.

Groh said both players are similar in terms of their skills.

"Good size, good vertical speed. They catch the ball well," he said. "They both have good potential. What we need them to do is turn potential into consistent performance."

Miller has made considerable progress in his one year as a tight end. In some ways, his background as a quarterback, handling the ball every play, has helped make for a smooth transition.

"He's got a real good feel for the football," Groh said. "When the ball's near him, it ends up in his hands."

Not-as-hot seats. Virginia has set a season-ticket sales record for six years running, but it looks like that streak will come to an end.

As of Wednesday afternoon, the Cavaliers had sold 31,123 season tickets. With the opening game two weeks away, it is unlikely that number will exceed last year's mark of 34,378.

Still, UVa is almost sure to surpass the figure of 31,302 in 2000 - the first year of Scott Stadium's full expansion. The official seating capacity is 61,500, while the maximum number of season tickets available is 39,500.

The home schedule includes games against Colorado State (Aug. 22), South Carolina (Sept. 7), Akron (Sept. 21), Clemson (Oct. 12), North Carolina (Oct. 19), N.C. State (Nov. 16) and Maryland (Nov. 23). As of now, single-game tickets remain for every contest except South Carolina.

Miller Time. Mark Miller turned down several scholarship offers from Division I programs to join the Cavaliers as a recruited walk-on. The 6-foot, 210-pound linebacker from Birmingham, Ala., is currently practicing with the second-team defense.

"I think he's got a chance to earn himself some playing time," Groh said. "Our coaches have been impressed with how quickly he picks things up. He's got a high desire level. He obviously understands football well. He played for a very good high school program. We were well aware of him."

Miller made more than 500 tackles at Briarwood Christian High School and led his team to the state championship in 2000.

Another walk-on with "a promising future," according to Groh, is 6-8, 236-pound defensive end Davon Robb of Hopewell. Groh compared him to 6-7 sophomore defensive end Chris Canty, who came to UVa at 238 pounds and now weighs 290.

"If he sticks with it, it looks like it might be a fun ride," Groh said.

Extra points. The Cavaliers have two more days of open practices – today and tomorrow, with sessions at 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. on the fields behind University Hall. Fans are asked to pick up a free entry pass at the football reception desk in the McCue Center. … Wednesday's afternoon practice was devoted to special teams. … Six players are practicing as kick and punt returners. Groh said he would prefer that different players return punts and kickoffs once the season starts.

When former head coaches return to the bench as assistants, it is not necessarily for their youth and enthusiasm but rather the opposite: their wisdom and experience.

When Virginia coach Pete Gillen hired former Boise State coach Rod Jensen to join his staff as an assistant last month, it continued a college basketball trend that has been gaining in popularity. It's something that has been done at Ohio State, UConn and N.C. State in the past two years, and, of course, even at Virginia in recent memory.

The reasoning behind such a move? Well, the answers are numerous. Sometimes a specific facet of the game and the coach's expertise in that area can lead to the hiring. Other times it can be the result of a longtime friendship.

Still, the basic notion, as Gillen explains, is for the head coach to have a confidant, a teacher, a sounding board and even something of a devil's advocate at his side.

"It gives us a guy who can say, 'Hey, Pete we should be doing it this way' and who has experience. … A veteran coach can take a little bit of stress off me and give me a different perspective," said Gillen, whose former assistant, Tommy Herrion, left to take the head coaching position at College of Charleston in April.

Certainly, Gillen did not have to look far for someone who could counsel him on the advantages of bringing a former head coach to your staff.

During his tenure as UVa's coach, Terry Holland had two notable instances when he added former head coaches to his staff. In 1982, Dave Odom came to UVa as an assistant after serving a three-year tenure at East Carolina as head coach. In 1988, Craig Littlepage, Virginia's current athletics director, returned to UVa after stints at both Pennsylvania and Rutgers.

In both instances, Holland felt that the moves were advantageous to the program and perhaps more importantly, to him personally.

"Former head coaches have a great deal of experience that can make them tremendous assets in the role of an assistant coach. First and foremost, they are the only ones who can truly appreciate the pressures the head coach is under and are therefore likely to anticipate what they can do and how to help the head coach in many circumstances," Holland said. "You would not want all your assistants to have this particular experience but a battle-scarred veteran who has 'been through the wars' as a head coach does complement a staff of young 'up-and-coming' assistants perfectly in my opinion."

Jensen's role at Virginia might be precisely as Holland outlined.

Jensen is 48 and much closer in age to Gillen, who turned 55 in June, than any of Virginia's other assistants. The staff's top assistant, Walt Fuller, is 38 and was the oldest on Gillen's staff before Jensen's hiring. As for his experience, Jensen was the head coach for the past seven seasons at Boise State and was an assistant at the school for 12 years prior to that. He also has a reputation of a strong defensive-minded coach and no doubt that will be an

asset for a program that has suffered at the defensive end of the court.

Those outside the program say Gillen's decision is a wise one and a good fit for the program.

"I thought it was a great hire by Pete and I think it will help their defense. It's good to bring in a guy with experience that can help with the teaching aspect of the game, not just recruiting," said ESPN/ABC commentator Dick Vitale, a former head coach himself. "Former head coaches come in with great organizational skills. They know the X's and O's. They know all the ins and outs of the game and that's a very valuable asset."

Vitale brings up two interesting and very valid observations. First, Jensen will not go on the road as a recruiter. Those responsibilities will be left to Gillen, Fuller and assistant Alexis Sherard. Secondly, the actual teaching of the game tends to be what drives a former head coach back to the bench as an assistant. That certainly is the case for Jensen.

"The thing I like to do most is teach basketball. As a head coach you are pulled in so many different directions and have so many different responsibilities that teaching basketball is often the last thing on your docket," Jensen said. "I was an assistant for 12 years at Boise State before becoming head coach and for those 12 years, I was in charge of the defense and did not do a lot of recruiting. That gave me a chance to develop great relationships with the players on campus and I got to teach. ... To me, this is a great, great job at this point in time."

For most coaches, recruiting is a love-hate proposition. Necessary evil might be even more appropriate.

In one instance, it is the lifeline of your program but it is also incredibly time consuming. While not admitting that he completely loathes it, Jensen made it clear that he's perfectly fine with recruiting not being his primary responsibility.

"I don't mind the recruiting and there were times that I enjoyed it. At the same time, that's taking you away from the guys on campus and those are the ones you have to be the most loyal to," Jensen said. "This gives me a chance to be at home and be teaching. The recruiting part I've enjoyed but I don't have to have it."

George Blaney, a former head coach at both Holy Cross and Seton Hall and now assistant for Jim Calhoun at Connecticut, could not agree with Jensen more. He, as one might suspect Jensen will eventually, cherishes the teacher/resident sage role he has at UConn with Calhoun, who has enjoyed a longtime friendship with Blaney.

"Every case is going to be different concerning the reasons you go back and who gives you the opportunity. In my particular case, I missed teaching and being on the floor. Quite honestly, I never wanted to leave [head coaching]," Blaney said. "Jim and I have been friends as long as both of us can remember. We've always just talked basketball. Now I have an opportunity where we talk basketball all day and then go to practice. How good is that?"

For the most part, Blaney claims to be content in his current role and furthermore it appears to be a successful marriage. After a disappointing 2000-2001 season, the Huskies reached the Elite Eight in Blaney's first season on the bench.

"There are things I miss about being a head coach, there is no question about that. Because of my relationship with Jim and the way he handles it and the responsibilities and how he seems to rely on me, it makes it fun to be around. I've never been too big of an ego guy," Blaney said. "It's a great program here and Jim's a great coach who'll be in the Hall of Fame some day, so I'm not changing things here."

Coincidentally, it should be noted that Jensen and Gillen's personal ties do not match that of Blaney's and Calhoun's. By their own admissions, they have met each other just briefly over the years and their primary point of reference was the fact that Jensen's daughter, Kate, a May 2002 graduate, was a student at Virginia.

Of course in any situation when a head coach returns as an assistant, there are the obvious questions about the coach's ambitions in terms of gaining another head job. Larry Hunter, a former Ohio University head coach who joined Herb Sendek's staff at N.C. State in 2001, still harbors ambitions of receiving a top job again according to sources in North Carolina. [Hunter declined comment for this story as he only will do interviews in regard to the Wolfpack team and not him personally according to a N.C. State spokesperson].

Again, even local history shows that returning as an assistant can create another head opportunity. Certainly, Odom's stints at Wake Forest and now at South Carolina speak to that.

Jensen did not entirely dismiss that idea but hardly seemed to be courting it, either.

"If that opportunity arises that would be fine but it's not something I'm going to be looking to do necessarily. … This is basketball heaven in the ACC," Jensen said. "To have an opportunity to be involved with a university such as Virginia, with Coach Gillen who I respect tremendously and in the ACC. I don't know if it can get much better."

Who's that guy hanging around Virginia's football team these days? Sure looks familiar. Big smile. Infectious enthusiasm. Nonstop chatter.

It could only be Anthony Poindexter, arguably the greatest player - and among the most charismatic personalities - in UVa history.

What's he doing here? If life was fair, Poindexter would be an NFL star right now, laying ferocious hits on opposing ball carriers, just as he did for the Cavaliers from 1995-98.

But it isn't. Having never fully recovered from the major knee injury he suffered against N.C. State as a senior, Poindexter saw little action in two NFL seasons. He called it quits after being cut by the Baltimore Ravens and Cleveland Browns last year.

Yet he's still smiling.

"Man, I can't complain. Nothing to complain about," Poindexter said Thursday, sitting on a bench outside the McCue Center locker room. "I've been blessed so much. Growing up, all I wanted to do was play in the NFL. I was able to do that for two seasons.

"I've also wanted to be a coach for the longest time. Now I'm getting a golden opportunity to come back here and start my coaching career while I'm still young."

Poindexter planned to give the NFL another shot this fall, but UVa coach Al Groh offered him a position as a graduate assistant coach. His primary responsibility is overseeing the players' weight-room workouts, but he also attends practices and meetings to learn more about his new career path.

"I was out in California, rehabbing, when Coach Groh talked to me about this job," he said. "I asked him for some time to decide. It's hard to give up playing. But after two months, I decided to do it. If it hadn't been the University of Virginia, I'd probably still be rehabbing, trying to come back."

To Groh, bringing Poindexter aboard was a no-brainer.

"We have a guy who's a native Virginian and one of the greatest players in Virginia history who wants to get his coaching career started," Groh said. "In my mind, it's the same with some of these freshmen coming in - it's the interjection of hungry, talented people in your program. This guy has an infectious, positive outlook on things."

Groh said Poindexter "brings credibility" in that his name means something to the team's current players, several of whom played with him in 1998. The rest are familiar with his sterling career as a Cavalier.

"Everyone knows about Dex, even the rookies," senior linebacker Angelo Crowell said. "It's great having him around. He brings a lot of enthusiasm to the team. He brings a lot of knowledge. He's a great guy to learn from and work with."

Poindexter tore three ligaments in his right knee against the Wolfpack on Oct. 24, 1998. Following surgery, he worked diligently for years but never regained the explosiveness that helped make him a three-time All-ACC selection and two-time All-American at safety.

After the Ravens drafted him in the seventh round, he sat out the 1999 season, then returned to play special teams in 2000. He even earned a Super Bowl ring that year. But last summer, Baltimore cut him. He hooked on with the Browns and played well in the preseason before the knee acted up. He was one of the last cuts of training camp.

"It was discouraging because I had never been cut by any team in any sport my whole life," Poindexter said. "I know if I was a healthy dude, I would have dominated that league. In my eyes, I'd be a Pro Bowl player.

"But my body couldn't take it anymore. I was in agony when I was playing. It was hard to roll out of bed in the morning. I mean, I love football, you know that. But because of the pain I was in, to tell the truth, it wasn't too hard to give it up."

Poindexter says he hopes to stick around UVa's program for several years. He is living in an apartment off Pantops with his wife, Kim, their infant son, Anthony Jr., and Kim's 3-year-old daughter from a previous relationship, Morocca.

"It's great being back, man, great being around here again," he said. "It like coming back home."

Early attrition. Several players have left UVa's team recently for various reasons.

Freshman offensive lineman Damian Spradlin is taking "personal time," Groh said. Spradlin, out of Liberty High School, failed the team's conditioning test and had been jogging to get in shape during practices. Groh said he hopes Spradlin will return.

Redshirt freshman linebacker Chris Trapp will not be back. The former Turner Ashby standout, who walked on to the team last year, had to quit because of persistent stingers in his neck, Groh said.

Two juniors, offensive lineman Jay Green and defensive end Larry Simmons, did not report for training camp. The Cavaliers are down to about 70 scholarship players, 15 below the maximum of 85. Groh said he will give some scholarships to walk-ons.

Check out the Cavs. Anyone who wants to get a look at Virginia's team before the Aug. 22 opener needs to come today. The last practices open to the public and media will be at 9 a.m. and 3 p.m., with each session expected to last two hours. After today, practices are closed.

As usual, fans are asked to pick up free entry passes at the football reception desk in the McCue Center. Practices are held on the fields behind University Hall.

The moniker, shortened at times to "Quake," has something to do with his first name, pronounced Kway-koo. But it has more to do with the tremors he is causing on the practice fields behind University Hall.

The 6-foot-4 defensive end from Brooklyn, N.Y., is listed in UVa's media guide at 303 pounds, but he clearly weighs a wee bit more. Asked how much tonnage Robinson actually carries, coach Al Groh laughed and said, "Pretty much. … [But] he's down from when he arrived."

Still, Groh loves the freshman's size. Last year, both of Virginia's starting defensive ends tipped the scales at around 265. The current starters, Chris Canty and Brennan Schmidt, are 290 and 265, respectively. Robinson comes in an extra-large package.

"This guy's so massive," Groh said. "That's why he's such an unusual prospect. We haven't had many like that around here lately."

Because Canty has been hobbled by an injured leg, Robinson has been practicing with the first-team defense lately. A Parade All-American, he is expected to play a significant role as a freshman. But he admits the transition from high school to college ball has not been easy.

"It's like going from peewee to the NFL - it's big," he said. "Here there are guys who are as big as you. There are guys as fast as you. There are guys as strong as you. You have to stay on your toes."

Easier said than done. A few days ago, 6-6, 322-pound sophomore guard Elton Brown sent Robinson sprawling with a powerful push.

"I've never been hit like that in my life," Robinson said, shaking his head.

But it's all part of the learning process. Groh said players of Robinson's size can go "on the rampage" in high school, overwhelming smaller linemen. Then when they arrive in college, "all of a sudden all of those mismatches of your life are gone. Then what do you do?"

Robinson knows he needs to hone his footwork and technique in terms of shedding blocks, tackling ball carriers and rushing the passer. As he develops, his impact may be measured on the Richter Scale.

"I just want to learn and get better this year," he said. "I'd like to start three games maybe, get some sacks. I'll start with small aspirations, then just go from there."

Youth served. Robinson is one of four true freshmen practicing at defensive line. The others are D.J. Bell, Braden Campbell and Ron Darden.

Darden, listed at 6-4 and 315 pounds, moved over from the offensive line Wednesday and could be used in goal-line and short-yardage situations.

"It's been interesting. I've been studying the defensive playbook the last few days," Darden said with a smile. "Wherever they need me, I'll do whatever they what. If they're doing fine and they want me to redshirt, that 's fine. If they need me this year, I'll be there."

On the mend. Canty broke his right leg on April 12, forcing him to miss the spring game. He was cleared to practice several weeks ago but has infrequently participated in drills.

Though Canty insists he will be fine, Groh said the rehabilitation has been behind schedule and Canty's status is a "day-to-day thing".

Scrimmaging. The Cavaliers will hold an intrasquad scrimmage today at Scott Stadium. The competition, closed to fans and media, will replicate game situations, with officials on the field and coaches on the sideline and in the booths.

"I want to see how our operation runs," Groh said.

"As a team, we practiced punting maybe once a week," said the Virginia freshman from Cave Spring High School. "I'd kick on my own a little before practice sometimes. But I never really focused on punting."

These days, punting is not only Hagan's first priority, it's his only priority. UVa coach Al Groh offered him a scholarship to do one thing - be the team's punter, ideally for the next four years.

Of all the talented freshmen who joined the program, Hagan is the only one assured of starting the opening game Aug. 22 against Colorado State. Even if his first punt goes backward, Groh said, he will remain the starter. And if the second one goes sideways, he will get a third chance, and a fourth, and so on.

"I want him to understand that not only do I have confidence in him, I'm counting on him," Groh said.

If Hagan fails, there aren't many options. The only other punter on the roster is junior Bryce Coffey, who has not kicked in a game. But Groh believes that Hagan will succeed because of his record of achievement at Cave Spring.

After all, Hagan was good at everything he did in high school. Not only did he average 42.3 yards per punt as a senior, he caught 30 passes, made seven interceptions and booted a 52-yard field goal in a state playoff game. He helped the basketball team win the state championship and batted .575 with 11 homers for the baseball team.

"He's proven he can step to the plate," Groh said. "I have confidence Tom knows how to step up."

Hagan plans to play baseball for the Cavaliers in the spring, but for now he is focusing solely on punting. Being a specialist, he says, should allow him to hone his technique. Instead of being a jack of all trades, he will try to be a master of one.

"It's good because I can just practice one thing instead of playing a lot of positions," he said. "During games, I'd play wide receiver and if we didn't make it on third down, I'd come back and punt it away, then stay on the field and play defense.

"I didn't put much time into it. With my job here, it's all I do. I'm working on getting my mechanics right, working on my consistency so it's like a golf swing, the same thing every time."

Punting is more of a science on the college level. In high school, Hagan says he tried to boom every punt as far as he could. UVa special teams coach Corwin Brown emphasizes getting the punt off quickly (2.1 seconds or less after the snap), getting good hang time and, at times, directing the punt toward one side of the field.

"That's all stuff I'm working on every day," Hagan said. "Just trying to get ready."

No leg up. The situation at place-kicker is less settled. Groh indicated that he has determined his starting lineup for the opening game at every position except kicker.

There are three main candidates for the job: sophomore Bryan Smith, redshirt freshman Kurt Smith and true freshman Connor Hughes.

Bryan Smith is the only one of the three on scholarship, but he missed the spring with an injured knee and was just recently cleared to kick. Kurt Smith received all of the kicking reps during the spring game, while Hughes was a two-time all-state kicker at Lafayette High.

Groh sounds less interested in figuring out who has the strongest leg than in determining who will be the most consistent from short range.

"One thing that helps a coach run the game is knowing at what point on the field do we feel good that we're going to get three points if our offense is stopped," Groh said.

For starters. While Groh said that he has picked his starters for the opening game, he emphasized that they aren't set in stone.

"Are all the starters what we need them to be right now? I wouldn't necessarily say that, but I know who they are going to be at this moment," he said.

"I think we have some evolving situations and some competitive situations where I would anticipate - and want to see - some change during the course of the year. I want to see some players progress to the point where they can challenge for some of these jobs."

Extra points. Freshman offensive lineman Damian Spradlin, who left the team early in the week, has returned. He failed the team's conditioning test and had been jogging while the other players practiced. Groh said Spradlin left to take some "personal time." … The Cavaliers held an intrasquad scrimmage at Scott Stadium on Saturday. It was closed to the public and media, and the team released no information. … Art Thomas will start at left cornerback, while fellow junior Jamaine Winborne will start on the right side, Groh said.

"I guess our other special guest didn't show up," he said to those assembled for the annual media day festivities.

When informed that the other special guest, radio broadcaster Mac McDonald was going to be using that chair to talk to fans later on, Groh sighed.

"I thought we had invited Michelle Pfeiffer," Groh cracked, drawing the biggest laughs of the day.

On a blistering hot day, the mention of Pfeiffer was about the only sexy talk surrounding the UVa football program. There's hardly a sense of undue optimism abounding at Scott Stadium at this point. The Cavaliers, coming off a 5-7 season, were tabbed for eighth in the nine-team ACC a week earlier by the ACC writers and face a tough opponent, Colorado State, right off the bat Aug. 22 in the Jim Thorpe Classic.

Groh shrugged off the prediction.

"Everybody's got a job," he said. "Pickers pick, and coaches coach, and players play."

Groh, who suffered through a rocky first season punctuated by some big wins against Clemson, Georgia Tech and Penn State, knows the job isn't going to be an easy one. Sure, there are some real horses coming back. Jefferson Forest product Jerton Evans anchors a rock-solid secondary. There's Billy McMullen, labeled the best wide receiver in the country by Groh, and many others to boot. Angelo Crowell is another rock as well in the middle.

There's that crop of great freshmen, led by quarterback Anthony Martinez. Even with the losses of linebackers Ahmad Brooks to Fork Union and Kai Parham to injury, the freshmen expect not only to be a big boost in the future, but now as well.

And when a questioner asked Groh if he thought McMullen was merely one of the best, that drew the only sharp rebuttal of the day.

"One of the best?" Groh replied with a deep scowl.

With that, Camp Groh had officially begun for the second season. Remember "All the Right Moves" with Tom Cruise? Craig T. Nelson (in his original coaching role) was terrific as the hard-driving coach Nickerson, and you might say that Groh is coach Nickerson's clone, even in his looks. He's definitely a my-way-or-the-highway kind of guy. You don't spread garbage on this guy's yard and get away with it.

"One of the things that can never be underestimated by anyone is a player's ability to take a toll on me by being undependable," he said.

Nobody's job is safe. Of quarterback Matt Schaub, the only one with any significant playing experience, Groh said, "He'll start Aug. 22." No guarantees after that.

Said Crowell: "We know what to expect from him."

Nonetheless, he's allowing his program to be an open book, at least early on. The 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. weekday practices are open through this week. But don't be fooled by that openness.

He knows the honeymoon period is over. You can get away with 5-7 for one season. But not even 6-7 in this interminable 13-game season that is already looming ominously like a thunderstorm over the Blue Ridge will suffice.

"Based on last year's results, everybody in the organization, including the head coach, feels the need to step it up," Groh said. "I want everybody in the organization to feel there's a sense of urgency and needing to get things done."

And the Cavs are hoping they can write their own Cinderella script and be this year's Maryland.

"I think we'll go to a bowl game," Evans said with a grin. He stopped for a moment, almost as if not to believe he'd just said that.

"Do I believe it? Yes, I really do."

We'll start to get the answers in just 18 days.