White: Jones Starts Fresh As Bennett Era Begins
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com Release: 10/27/2009
By Jeff White

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- Tony Bennett got his first look at his basketball team's media guide Sunday morning. Flipping through it, UVa's new coach stopped on Page 84.
"He could be an important guy for us," Bennett said, pointing to a photo of junior guard Jeff Jones.
That's the goal for Jones, who graduated from Monsignor Bonner High in 2007 as the all-time leading scorer in Philadelphia's storied Catholic League.
Considered the heir apparent to J.R. Reynolds at UVa, the 6-4 Jones hit five 3-pointers in a win over Arizona in his third college game and made six treys against Bradley in the final game of his freshman season.
As a sophomore, he scored 19 points against eventual NCAA champion North Carolina and had 16 against the Miami Hurricanes.
So, yes, he's had some memorable moments. Overall, though, Jones' lows have outnumbered his highs as a college player, and he often seemed out of favor with Bennett's predecessor, Dave Leitao.
"He was struggling last year," sophomore point guard Sammy Zeglinski said of Jones. "I think his confidence was a little down. He started to second-guess himself a little bit. Now he's just playing very freely. He has the green light, and he's taking advantage of it."
Indeed, Jones has been one of the Cavaliers' standouts in practice thus far, and he's a strong candidate to start at shooting guard.
"I would say he's just stress-free right now," sophomore swingman Sylven Landesberg said. "I think last year he just felt like there was a lot of pressure on him. I think he just feels like he can go out and play his game without hearing anybody."
Jones' body language reflects his renewed confidence. He looks happy on the court, and his shot drops regularly in practice. Gone is Leitao's motion offense, replaced by a more structured system that plays to Jones' strengths.
"If I had to have a dream offense, this would be it," Jones said before a recent practice. "You're loose out there. You're playing your game, you're coming off multiple screens, and eventually you're going to be open.
"That's just great for me. I've been working on my game a lot this summer, and it's just perfect for what I worked on, and it's perfect for my game."
He noted that against Bradley in 2007-08 and at UNC last season, "I came off a lot of screens in those games, and I got a lot of open looks, and my teammates found me a lot. And that's a lot of what's going on this year."
Zeglinski said: "He's getting a lot of good looks. There's a lot of dribble penetration, and he's really finding the open spots to get available for kick-outs, and he's knocking down shots right now.
"If he misses a shot, it's like it didn't even bother him. You couldn't tell if he missed it or made the shot. That's a good thing."
Jones started 25 times as a freshman but scored in double figures in only three of his final 30 games. He averaged 4.8 points, shooting 31.4 percent from 3-point range.
His sophomore year didn't go much better. Jones raised his scoring average to 6.5 points, but his accuracy from beyond the arc dropped to 29 percent.
Leitao stepped down in March after the Wahoos finished 10-18. The search for his successor ended with the hiring of Bennett, who'd spent the previous three seasons as Washington State's head coach.
Jones knew nothing about Bennett initially, but the more he researched his new coach, the more he was intrigued.
"As soon as he got the job, I went on the Internet and found out a lot of stuff about him," Jones said. "Found out his dad was a good coach, things like that.
"My dad knew about his father" -- the legendary Dick Bennett -- "and knew he was a great coach, and he knew it was all about defense. I knew, certainly, the first day when Coach hit the floor that it was going to be about defense first."
When he arrived at UVa, Jones was not known for his prowess in that area, but he's improved defensively. He's also learned to take care of the ball.
As a freshman, Jones had 41 turnovers and only 17 assists. A season later, he had more assists (24) than turnovers (15).
And now he's a veteran on a team picked to finish 11th in the ACC. If the Cavaliers are to climb above the .500 mark this season, they'll need more than scoring from Jones, in all likelihood. They'll need leadership.
"It's kind of funny, because my first couple of years, I was the one asking all the questions," Jones said. "But now you see the young guys coming up and asking a lot of questions.
"So it's quite a change, but I welcome it, because I've been through a lot. I've been there through the ups and downs, so I can tell a lot of guys how to get through it. Just work your way through it and have faith in yourself, and it's all going to work out."
That No. 23 has embraced Bennett's coaching style is clear. Jones says his teammates feel the same way.
"It's going to be a great year for everybody," he said. "The energy is high in practice, the energy is high in the locker room. I think everybody feels like they've got a fresh start, a clean slate. Everybody feels our down year was last year, and everybody's just ready for the season. We can't even wait. We're counting down every day."
 

A tough road for Bennett
By Jerry Ratcliffe
Published: October 28, 2009

With Virginia’s men’s basketball season opener little more than two weeks away, one would think the fan base would be less than enthusiastic, considering the program is coming off its worst season since they used peach baskets and this edition of Cavaliers were picked to finish 11th in the 12-team ACC.

That’s not the case at all, and there’s one main reason for the enthusiasm: Tony Bennett.

While he hasn’t won a single game, he hasn’t lost one either, so there’s a honeymoon period with Wahoo Nation.

Yet Bennett has charmed those who festoon themselves in orange and blue with his genuine demeanor.

So far, so good

Having stepped foot in Charlottesville around seven months ago, the young coach has pushed all the right buttons, exhibited the proper respect, said all the right things in addition to recruiting his fanny off in bringing in five legitimate prospects that should be signing on the dotted line in the coming days.

Virginia returns nearly its entire team from a year ago, 11 players, in addition to adding three new freshmen. It’s one of those good news, bad news kind of deals.

The good news is that everybody’s back.

The bad news is that everybody’s back.

There’s work to do

UVa finished 10-18 last season, 4-12 in the basketball-rich ACC, and never really established its own identity. It was a team that didn’t shoot well, didn’t play defense and didn’t appear to have much of a basketball IQ.

One noted TV analyst who played and coached the game walked up to this columnist before one of last year’s games and asked, “Where are the players? Virginia doesn’t have ACC-caliber players.”

No argument here, with the exception of the league’s rookie of the year last season, sophomore Sylven Landesberg. There’s hope for a couple of others, but only if they develop.

With all that noted, the ACC shouldn’t be quite as strong this season, so I’m not buying that Virginia will finish the predicted 11th-place as voted upon by media covering the league’s Operation Basketball in Greensboro last Sunday. Sometimes experience can make up for a certain lack of talent, which is what I believe will happen with this UVa team.

Bennett will find out a lot more about his Cavaliers this Sunday when they will scrimmage Marquette twice at John Paul Jones Arena (the scrimmages are closed to the public and to media). He has also scheduled a scrimmage with St. John’s, so those tests will give him a clearer idea of what challenges lie ahead.

It will be the first step in a long journey for Bennett, who hopes to be Virginia’s basketball coach for years to come.

He isn’t about instant results or guaranteeing a winning season out of the blocks. If that happens, so be it. If it doesn’t, no one should get their feathers ruffled.

Remember, Virginia has one — count ’em, one — NCAA tournament win over the last 14 years.

Patience, Wahoos, patience.

Bennett wants to build a program. He knows, and UVa director of athletics Craig Littlepage knows, that it’s going to take three or four years for the new coach to infuse new players with more talent and the ability to run his unique system, although the new fivesome is a great start in that direction.

Does that mean Virginia is going to roll over every year until he gets everything in place? Not at all. Bennett is a competitor and he will battle every night.

When everything is in place, the expectations are that Bennett will make reservations for the big dance most every year.

Some Wahoo fans remember when that was commonplace.
 

Virginia’s Baker has knee surgery
By Whitey Reid
Published: October 28, 2009

Virginia was already expected to be a little thin at the point guard position this season.

Now, there’s a chance the Cavaliers might be even thinner.

On Tuesday, UVa senior Calvin Baker underwent arthroscopic surgery to clean out a loose piece of cartilage in his right knee.

Baker, the team’s third-leading scorer last season — he was tied for second in assists — is expected to be out between two and three weeks, according to a press release issued by the school.

If Baker were to return in two weeks, he would be back in time for the team’s season opener against Longwood on Nov. 13. If the Newport News native takes three weeks, he would miss the game versus Longwood, plus Virginia’s second game of the season at South Florida on Nov. 16.

Last season, Baker played through a painful foot injury that required offseason surgery. During the summer, he also underwent arthroscopic surgery on his knee. It was not clear whether Baker’s latest surgery was related to the first procedure.

With Baker out of action, it seems a near certainty that redshirt sophomore Sammy Zeglinski will start at the point. Virginia’s only other candidates would be freshman Jontel Evans or junior Mustapha Farrakhan, who is a natural shooting guard.

Zeglinski recently sprained his ankle and has missed some practice time, but it isn’t considered serious.


 

Cavs’ Groh an involved manager
By Michael Phillips
Published: October 28, 2009

CHARLOTTESVILLE Al Groh gets his inspiration from the business world as well as the sports one.

In the past two weeks, the Virginia football coach has cited as inspiration Joe Torre and Bill Parcells, as well as the business style known as "management by walking around."

He'll recommend a book to the media - Monday it was Phil Simms' "Sunday Morning Quarterback" - then explain its relevance in the current discussion. He's not afraid to give credit elsewhere, as when he discussed the origin of his "next man up" philosophy on injuries.

"Like so many of the things we do that are positive for the team, very few of them are internally created," he said. "We've learned all these things from somebody else who has exposed them to us or been willing to share them."

It all adds up to his approach when it comes to managing his team. College football is one of the toughest sports to coach, as the roster - more than 100 players - is bigger than any other team sport.

Groh doesn't do as much delegating as other coaches, though. He's the only member of the staff who speaks with reporters, and involves himself in every aspect of the game.

"I just make it my business to get around and be where the players are," he said. "Whatever your line of work is, whether it's a military commander or a line supervisor or a football coach, there's value in having the ongoing support of people."

His support at Virginia is wavering as he carries a 3-4 record in his ninth season, but his players still respect him as a game planner and organizer.

Linebacker Steve Greer said that between series, Groh collects feedback from the different units, discussing what they saw on the field then drawing up the necessary changes.

"Coach is pretty good at coming up with stuff on the run," Greer said. "Even on the sidelines, he'll get the dry-erase board out and come up with some pretty good stuff."

Inspiration also comes to the coach from elsewhere, as it did this year during the National League Division Series between the Dodgers and the Cardinals. Groh patterned his philosophy toward Maryland kick returner Torrey Smith after Torre's approach.

"It didn't matter what the trade-off was, Albert Pujols wasn't going to take the series over," Groh said. "You always have to determine who and what could cause a game to go the wrong way."

Virginia didn't kick the ball to Smith during the game, keeping the ACC's leading kick returner from doing damage.

Groh's most recent thoughts on the topic of management came when he was quoting from the Simms book. Groh was asked how much coaches make changes at halftime and dispelled the myth that it was a time for teams to change their whole game plan. He said that instead the changes were incremental throughout the game.

For the Cavs this year, change has been a constant. Now as they enter the final weeks of the season, they'll look to change the fate of their season, and perhaps the coach as well.

Cutcliffe Looks Ahead to Saturday
Oct. 27, 2009
2:58 p.m.

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- Just got an e-mail from Duke's sports information director, Art Chase, with quotes from football coach David Cutcliffe.

Virginia (2-1, 3-4) hosts Duke (2-1, 4-3) at 3:30 p.m. Saturday at Scott Stadium. The game can be seen on the Internet at ESPN360.com.

Cutcliffe's comments:

On this stage of the season:

"It's week nine of college football and it keeps getting more intense, and I think probably more fun for everybody -- players, coaches, fans and media. All of these games get bigger and bigger and bigger."

On the challenges Virginia poses defensively:

"We're playing a really good football team this week. People ask me to tell them a little bit about Virginia. When I think about Virginia, and I guess it's because [of Al Groh], I think of a really physical defense. This is the hardest-hitting defensive team that we will play. They are loaded for big hits and have very physical players across the board. There's a big front, big linebackers that are explosive, and their secondary is special. 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, but we certainly better be prepared against their speed and skill and athleticism."

On Virginia's offense and playing on the road in Charlottesville:

"On offense, they've got guys that can take it to the house and are very balanced. They always have a back that can run the football. They got off, like we did, to a slow start, but have played some excellent football as of late. This is a tremendous matchup. This is my first time going up there to Charlottesville to bring a team up there to coach. It looks like it will be a great atmosphere. We're excited about the challenge, but we have a lot of work to do and have to correct a lot of things."

On the challenges Duke will have against Virginia's 3-4 defense:

"They have three big defensive linemen that can two-gap -- in other words, they do a great job of getting their hands on the linemen, and they can play inside, outside, right, left. I think Nate Collins is terrific. I think he's a heck of a pro prospect and one of the most productive defensive linemen in our league right now, without a doubt. But when those guys can do that, there's so many different looks with these big outside linebackers and big inside linebackers for all the pass rush combinations. I think the 3-4 defense lends itself to being an excellent zone blitz formation. It's not something that we see all that often, though Maryland played us in a lot of three-down formations. It's a little carryover in that regard, but just a little bit."

On improving the running game against Virginia:

"We're going to run the ball better. We had a good day today in that regard. I think anybody that looks at us would love to say, 'We're going to try to make you beat us running,' but we've got to try to find a way to stay somewhat balanced. But regardless, we're going to find a way to throw the football. They can try to make it hard and make it a challenge, but that just changes our course of how to throw it. They'll take some things away because they're really good, and that will be a little bit of a chess match like it always is."

On Duke's running backs staying involved, despite getting fewer carries this season:

"Our backs are really unselfish. They know we're doing what we've got to do to win games right now. Their role has changed from where we normally are as an offense, but we'll end up getting back to running the ball. They are pass-protectors, they are receivers, they're picking up blitzes. They have to be very alert and aware in all of their pass-protection responsibilities. They're screen-runners, they're screen-blockers. Our backs have been special in that regard."

-- Jeff White

Parr pitches in on UVa pass rush
The defensive end had 12 tackles on Saturday.
By Doug Doughty
981-3129

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- The postseason coming-out party of New York Yankees pitcher CC Sabathia has coincided with the emergence of his less-heralded namesake, "big" CC.

That's the nickname that Zane Parr's teammates gave him at Williamsport (Pa.) Area High School.

Considering that the Yankees list Sabathia at 6-foot-7 and 290 pounds, maybe Parr more resembled a little CC, but the comparisons were reasonable.

Like Sabathia, Parr was a left-handed pitcher who says his fastball was once clocked at 95 mph.

Parr, playing defensive end for Virginia at 6-6 and 265 pounds, adds that baseball once rivaled football as his favorite sport.

"After my sophomore year, I hurt my arm and I couldn't really pitch as well as I had before," he said. "I could only go three innings before it started to hurt."

Arm surgery was one option, but doctors couldn't guarantee that Parr would regain his velocity -- or even remain pain-free -- so he turned away from baseball.

That's not an easy decision in Williamsport, known internationally as the home of the Little League World Series.

"We went every year and checked out the teams," Parr said. "When I played baseball, I actually had a chance to play on that field in one of the tournaments for my league.

"I got to pitch on that field. It's definitely a big deal."

Parr follows professional baseball and declares himself "a big Yankees fan" as well as a "huge" fan of Sabathia, who will take the mound for New York in the World Series opener against Philadelphia, weather permitting.

Nobody had thought to ask Parr about his baseball background or anything else until the Cavaliers' game Oct. 17 at Maryland, where starting defensive end Matt Conrath sustained a high ankle sprain on the last play of the first half.

Parr, who had been practicing exclusively on the left side, played the entire second half of the Maryland game at right end and was able to celebrate when the Cavaliers prevailed 20-9.

When Nate Collins moved from end to nose tackle this past Saturday, Parr returned to his familiar spot on the left side and finished with 12 tackles (six solo, six assists).

Georgia Tech pulled away from the Cavaliers for a 34-9 victory, "but if everybody in a Virginia uniform had had the same kind of day as Zane Parr, we would have liked the looks of things a lot better," UVa coach Al Groh said.

Parr played in six of Virginia's first seven games as a redshirt freshman in 2008, but he missed the Cavaliers' last five games with a knee injury. He opened this year as a regular in Virginia's six-DB dime package.

It was a scheme for which Parr is well-suited. He weighed as much as 305-310 pounds early in his senior year in high school but quickly shed pounds during basketball season and was 260 when he got to UVa.

"Pass rush comes a lot easier because I'm lighter than Nate and Conrath," said Parr, who had been replacing Conrath in the dime. "Using my speed in pass rush is a lot easier than having to take on 320-pound linemen.

"I'd like to be heavier. I'm working on that right now, going over [to the training table] and eating as much stuff as I can without eating fast foods and stuff like that. I'd definitely like to be heavier, but there's not a weight that they're looking for."

Collins, expected to return to end this week, will complete his eligibility this season. However, UVa has a trio of sophomore defensive linemen in left end Parr, right end Conrath and nose tackle Nick Jenkins, who could be fixtures for the next two seasons.

Conrath had a breakout season last year as a redshirt freshman, when Groh noted that Conrath's history as a baseball pitcher had served him well as a defensive lineman because of the flexibility gained from years of bending his knees.

"One of the things that Matt has is very good leverage," Groh said. "You can't be a stiff guy to be a baseball pitcher. You've got to bend your knees, bend at the waist to get down low and get that delivery."

Groh said this week that he never knew Parr had played baseball.

"I did personally watch Zane play basketball," Groh said. "Sometimes those basketball evaluations are a little relative to the positions they played. But for a lineman, he was very smooth [and] easy on his feet, an adept basketball player."

Parr and Conrath are aware of their shared baseball background, which extends not only to their position and size but to their dominant left arms.

"He always says he throws faster than me and this and that," said Parr, who became a district shot put champion after giving up baseball. "We always tease each other about that, but I'm pretty sure I have the upper hand."

Or, at least, a Cy Young Award-winning namesake.

Cavs again must contain Lewis
By Norm Wood 247-4642
October 28, 2009

Though Virginia will be looking to avenge last season's 31-3 loss at Duke when the teams meet Saturday in Charlottesville, the Cavaliers can go in with the knowledge that they've had some success against dynamic quarterback Thaddeus Lewis.

After passing for more than 350 yards for the third consecutive game in last week's 17-13 win against Maryland, Lewis is 11th in the nation in passing efficiency, the highest-rated quarterback U.Va. (3-4, 2-1 ACC) has played this season. Lewis, a senior, is second in the ACC with 1,972 passing yards. He's completing 64 percent, with 14 touchdowns and three interceptions.

Now, he'll face a U.Va. pass defense that's rated fifth in the nation (151 yards per game) and has surrendered the second-fewest touchdown passes in the country (three; none in the last four games). In his first three games against U.Va., Lewis has struggled, going 43-of-87 for 418 yards, three touchdowns and six interceptions.

"He's now a fourth-year quarterback ...," U.Va. coach Al Groh said. "So, that certainly shows — not only the fourth year as an ACC starter, but the second year under (Duke coach) David Cutcliffe, who has great experience and know-how and development of quarterbacks."

U.Va's statistics are skewed by games against Georgia Tech, which rarely passes, and North Carolina, which is 107th nationally in passing offense.

"I don't really look at statistics," U.Va. cornerback Chris Cook said. "I just go out and try to play my game and try to bring my guys along with me. Everybody in the secondary, we don't want to give up any big plays. … We just want to lock everyone down, whoever it is — even in practice."

Storylines
CATCHING ON

Since moving to full-time wide receiver three games ago, U.Va.'s Vic Hall is leading the team in receptions, with 16 for 189 yards and a touchdown during that span. He had twice as many receptions as any other U.Va. receiver in those three games.

MOVING PIECES

After moving from defensive end to defensive tackle for last week's game against Georgia Tech, and registering a career-high 16 tackles, U.Va.'s Nate Collins is being listed back at end on the depth chart. Nick Jenkins is listed as the starting tackle. Zane Parr is the other starting end and likely will make his second straight start in place of the injured Matt Conrath (ankle).

0-3 START TO … WHERE?

If history is any indication, U.Va.'s 0-3 start, which was followed by a three-game winning streak, doesn't bode well for its chances of earning a bowl bid. In the history of the ACC, 59 teams have started 0-3. Only two of those teams (UNC in 1998 and 2001) went on to play in bowl games.

BIG NUMBER

25For the first time in school history, Duke already has four receivers with 25 or more catches this season.

Duke's tailbacks versatile
BY EDWARD G. ROBINSON III - Staff Writer

DURHAM -- No one at Duke is making excuses for the Blue Devils' inability to run the football this season, especially not coach David Cutcliffe.

Yet while Duke (4-3, 2-1 ACC) is averaging a league-worst 74.4 yards a game, its tailbacks' versatility has played a role in a passing attack that ranks sixth in the nation (322.6 ypg).

"They are pass protectors. They are receivers," Cutcliffe said Tuesday. "They are picking up blitzes. They are screen runners. They are screen blockers. ... Our backs have been pretty special in that regard."

The Blue Devils second-year coach also agreed, though, that his tailbacks need to gain more ground.

"We're going to run the ball better," he said.

Injuries have slowed backs such as senior Re'quan Boyette and sophomore Jay Hollingsworth, but they have become the last line of defense on offense. Despite their size disadvantages -- at 5-foot-10, Boyette weighs 205 pounds while the 5-10 Hollingsworth weighs only 195 pounds -- they have held their ground and engaged linebackers and defensive ends rushing inside.

"They are doing a good job for something people aren't giving them credit for, and that's blocking, pass protection," said Duke quarterback Thaddeus Lewis, who ranks second in the ACC with 281.7 passing yards a game.

"Blocking, it's not just another job," Hollingsworth said. "It's part of the job description. It's what we do as well. We're not just runners. We do have other responsibilities."

The tailbacks' efforts in recent games, in Saturday's 17-13 victory over Maryland and in a 49-28 victory over N.C. State, made a difference for the Devils.

And as they look ahead to Saturday's game at Virginia (3-4, 2-1), with the opportunity to claim three conference wins for the first time since 1994, the Devils believe they have taken an area of disappointment and turned it into strength.

Cutcliffe said the role of the team's running backs has changed, in part because of their rushing difficulties and in part because of their passing strengths.

With a young offensive line still finding its way, the Devils certainly needed the backs to contribute as blockers, though they are often used in other ways.

In Duke's offensive scheme, running backs spread out wide as well as line up in the backfield. A screen pass, in the team's nomenclature, is often viewed as a running play.

"We openly accept that, because we feel we're the best athletes on the field," Hollingsworth said. "We openly accept that knowing that we're versatile and important to this team."

Both Boyette and Hollingsworth have 11 receptions this season, and rank as the fifth and sixth leading receivers on the team, respectively. Boyette also has one reception for a touchdown.

"Guess what?" Lewis said. "The hidden numbers are 50 pass attempts, two sacks [against State], 42 pass attempts, two sacks [against Maryland]. ... That lets you know they are doing something right in the protection. They're not just back there."

This week, Duke's running backs are preparing for a Virginia 3-4 base defensive scheme that might require a better balance of pass and run.

The Devils are led by freshman tailback Desmond Scott, who, in a mostly backup role, has 32 carries for 158 yards and a touchdown. Boyette, the team's starter, returned to practice this week after a knee injury kept him out of Saturday's game.

"There's going to come a point in the season where we ... have to run the ball because we're not going to be able to pass," Hollingsworth said. "There's probably going to come one game where we can't just pass the ball. We're going to be forced to run."
 

Lewis’ arm makes Blue Devils go
By Jay Jenkins
Published: October 28, 2009

Thaddeus Lewis will walk into Scott Stadium on Saturday with a heavy heart.

With his team sitting at 4-3 overall and 2-1 in the ACC, it seems rather odd. But Duke’s senior quarterback played high school with Connecticut defensive back Jasper Howard.

In an event that shook the college football world, Howard was stabbed to death 10 days ago. As Lewis took the field last weekend against Maryland, a memorial of sorts was made with the eye-black patches that adorn his face.

“I grew up with Jazz. I was in the ninth grade when he was in eighth, and we lived in the same apartment complex,” Lewis told reporters. “To find out something happened like that was pretty sad. I put his name in my eye black last week as a little tribute.”

Outside of losing his friend prematurely, Lewis has had little to complain about this season. He is one of the top passers in the ACC — he ranks fifth in passing efficiency and second in total offense, and only Florida State’s Christian Ponder has thrown for more yards — and the Blue Devils rank sixth in the country in passing yardage.

The signal caller can take another step in achieving a monumental feat for a program known the past two decades for dwelling in the cellar — Duke has not won three ACC games in a season since 1999.

“I had never been 2-1 in the conference since I have played at Duke, but we took another step as a football team,” Lewis said after beating Maryland last week 13-10. “There are a lot of opportunities in front of you, and it is a matter of what you do with those opportunities.”

For the season, Duke is averaging 322 yards per game through the air.

The question lingers, however, if the aerial assault will work against Virginia — the Cavaliers lead the conference in pass defense.

“The matchup of our receivers against their secondary is going to be critical,” Duke coach David Cutcliffe said. “They pushed us around a year ago in that regard. They bullied us pretty good. We will be challenged, without a doubt.”

The comments seemed off-target given the final outcome last year: Duke 31, Virginia 3. But Lewis managed just 160 yards passing and Duke scored a majority of its points through excellent field position from four interceptions thrown by Cavalier quarterback Marc Verica.

From the surface, Lewis appears to be a completely different quarterback, spreading the ball to numerous targets despite losing Erron Riley to professional football.

“I think probably a little bit of a question as to whether [Lewis] actually lost his best wide receiver or not,” Virginia coach Al Groh said, praising the current crop of pass-catching options at Duke. “But he’s showing, one, the value of being a four-year starter. Those of you who were here to see him in his true freshman year — or, I guess it was down there when we played him as a true freshman — will remember it was pretty challenging for him. He had a difficult time that day, as might be expected with a first year quarterback against an ACC defense.

“He’s now a fourth-year quarterback with probably, in all likelihood, more starts than any quarterback in the Atlantic Coast Conference at this current time. So, that certainly shows, not only the fourth year as an ACC starter, but the second year under Cutcliffe who has great experience and know how and development of quarterbacks. He clearly has profited by that.”

Should Virginia, boasting lockdown cornerbacks Chris Cook and Ras-I Dowling, hamper the Blue Devils’ passing attack early, don’t expect the team to shift gears as Virginia did by waving the white flag when its running game disappeared early against Georgia Tech.

“When they have difficulty passing in the game, passing the ball, they don’t suddenly say, ‘OK, now we’re going to run it 60 times in this game,’” Groh said. “They say, ‘We have to find some patterns that will get open better from the ones that we’ve been running.’”