Those who closely observe the Atlantic Coast Conference have low expectations for Groh's Cavaliers. Picked to finish eighth, just ahead of hapless Duke, the Cavs are in the midst of rebuilding after their first losing season in 15 years.

But Groh won't use that as an excuse. An integral part of miraculous turnarounds with the New England Patriots and New York Jets, the coach refuses to accept mediocrity. On the first day of practice he openly discussed how he has asked, no, demanded a keen sense of urgency from everyone involved in the Virginia program.

At the same time, he has had to walk a fragile tightrope between showing patience with a large freshman class expected to impact this year's campaign, and pushing hard for excellence.

The coach hasn't backed down. He didn't shy away from a difficult schedule that features nine bowl teams. Instead, he embraced it and made the task even more difficult by electing to add a 13th game, tonight's Jim Thorpe Classic. Thorpe would be proud. The old Carlisle Indian never backed down from a good challenge.

Instead of selecting some cupcake off a list of possible opponents, Groh chose the best team available, Colorado State, predicted champions of the Mountain West Conference.

There a jillion questions to be answered for both teams in tonight's opener.

Can Colorado State's inexperienced secondary stop Virginia's passing game and can UVa's suspect offensive line keep the Rams' rush away from quarterback Matt Schaub?

It could be a real test of wills between Groh and CSU coach Sonny Lubick, one of the most underrated coaches in the country. The Rams may be throwing all sorts of stunts, blitzes, movement at Schaub in order to exploit UVa's offensive line and to take some of the heat off of the Colorado State secondary. Meanwhile, Groh and offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave are no dummies. They've known this offenses' strengths and weaknesses for a long time and will attempt to keep the Rams off balance.

One mistake by CSU on the blitz could result in a severe burn with the likes of All-America wide receiver Billy McMullen roaming free.

Can Virginia's defense, among the worst in the country the last two years, prevent "Cecil the Diesel" from driving railroad stakes down their throats and can it contain the elusive Bradlee Van Pelt?

Defensive coordinator Al Golden has pined for an infusion of new faces on defense and he goes to war tonight with a few less than he had hoped. Missing from the lineup are high school All-America linebackers Kai Parham, still recuperating from a back problem, and Ahmad Brooks, who is in two-a-days at Hargrave Military Academy.

Can UVa's heralded freshman class, rated as high as the fifth-best collection of recruits in the nation by one publication last February, live up to its reputation before a near-capacity crowd and a Fox Sports television audience?

Will the kicking game, comprised of new punters and place-kickers and return men, rise to the pressure or melt into a pool of rookie jitters?

Can Virginia's big-time freshmen running backs show everyone the speed and the moves that made them some of the most sought-after bluechippers in the nation?

And finally, can the Wahoo nation come together the way former Cavalier Jim Dombrowski talked about last month when he was one of several Virginia players named to the ACC's 50th Anniversary team?

While things have gotten better around Scott Stadium since Dombrowski became an All-American back in the mid-80s, he spoke on behalf of the Cavalier players when he asked for a more rabid involvement from the fans. Dombrowski, who starred for the New Orleans Saints for more than a decade, said the players want more fans, more noise, more orange and blue in the stands.

If there was ever a time the program needed its best support, it is this difficult 2002 season.

Who knows, Groh Chapter II, could be another one of those turnaround stories, or at least the beginning of the turnaround.

In a way, it may be appropriate that UVa is playing in the earliest game in college football history, according to the NCAA.

The Cavaliers are a young team, full of freshmen who will see their first action tonight at Scott Stadium. Is their prime-time debut premature, or are they ahead of their time?

Virginia coach Al Groh won't have to wait long to find out. He eagerly accepted the invitation to add a 13th game to the front of the schedule. Then, from a list of possible opponents, he chose the most formidable one. Colorado State, a perennially strong program, is favored to win the Mountain West Conference.

Groh said he picked the Rams because he believed "the challenge of playing a team that's picked to win their conference would be invigorating for our players, and … in terms of exposing this young team to the type of competition that we have to be up to competing against, I thought this would be the best lesson for us."

Skeptics wonder whether the Cavaliers will be up to the challenge of a schedule that includes nine bowl teams from 2001. After Colorado State comes No. 3 Florida State and No. 22 South Carolina.

But to heck with the doubters, including those in the press box, says senior safety Jerton Evans. The ACC media predicted an eighth-place finish for the Cavaliers, which would be their worst since 1970.

"You know what? They write and we play," Evans said. "Until they see what we can do, those predictions mean nothing."

Many of Virginia's players will be making their collegiate debut. Roughly 18 true and redshirt freshmen are likely to get in tonight's game. A handful will start, including left tackle Brian Barthelmes, defensive ends Brennan Schmidt and Kwakou Robinson, punter Tom Hagan and punt returner Michael Johnson.

They will be joined by a small but determined corps of veterans who want to halt the program's recent slide. The Cavaliers have slipped from 9-3 to 7-5 to 6-6 to 5-7 over the past four years.

"We're not going to be 5-7. We're going to be at the top of the ACC," said senior safety Shernard Newby. "We just all have to come in with a sense of urgency, including the freshmen. If I'm going to give 150 percent, I expect them to give 150 percent.

"A lot of classes have fake hype, but this one is really good. They have talent, but they have to show it now. They can't wait two or three years down the road. They're freshmen, but they can't make a lot of freshman mistakes."

The Rams also have plenty of motivation. Though they have won five conference championships in the past eight years - and finished No. 14 in the AP poll two years ago - they don't maintain a high national profile among fans.

A good start this season could help change that. Following Virginia, they face No. 7 Colorado, UCLA and No. 17 Louisville.

"We definitely feel like we don't get enough respect," said Colorado State tailback Cecil Sapp. "When we play against other conferences, we look at it as a chance to earn that respect. Virginia's an ACC team, a top school, and they say the ACC is one of the best [conferences]. We're a Mountain West team, so we have something to prove."