Cavaliers' running attack ground to a halt

CHARLOTTESVILLE

The tone was set early.

Facing fourth-and-2 at the Virginia Tech 6 late in the first quarter, a Virginia team that has run the ball as well as any in recent Cavaliers history decided to muscle up and go for it.

It was an aggressive move, but hardly a reckless one. Why settle for a field goal attempt when the strength of the team has been a physical offensive line that had powered Virginia to 177.6 yards per game, the best since 2004 and second-highest in the past 12 years?

"You'd like to think you can get the first down," guard Luke Bowanko said.

Virginia didn't, though. Michael Rocco handed to tailback Kevin Parks, who was stopped a yard shy by linebacker Jack Tyler.

The Cavaliers turned the ball over on downs.

It was a sign of things to come. Virginia, the ACC's third-best rushing team, managed just 30 net yards, in Saturday's 38-0 loss to Virginia Tech.

"We were blocking pretty well," Bowanko said. "Obviously, I haven't seen the film yet, so I don't know what was going on. We were playing pretty well up front. I was pretty confident."

Nevertheless, the Cavaliers' longest run of the day went for 12 yards, on a wide receiver reverse by Darius Jennings. No running back had a carry longer than 5 yards.

It was a humbling experience for a team that prides itself on running the ball.

"We expect our running game to be great every week, no matter how many guys they put up in the box," Rocco said.

The Cavaliers managed just 78 yards last week against Florida State, but came away victorious. Saturday represented a whole new level of frustration. Parks led Virginia with just 17 yards. Tailback Perry Jones managed just 13.

Credit a Tech defense that ranks 13th nationally against the run and had answers for everything Virginia tried.

It wasn't as much Tech's push as its pursuit that created problems, offensive coordinator Bill Lazor said.

"At times they caught us from behind," he said. "They played faster than us up front, really."

The inability to establish anything on the ground left Virginia dangerously one-dimensional. Rocco paid the price, getting sacked four times.

"We're at our best we can do both (run and pass)," Lazor said. "They took a part of that away from us."

Playing from behind didn't help. Forced to throw, Virginia had sporadic success. In three trips inside the 20, however, the Cavaliers came up empty.

The first one set an ominous tone. Coach Mike London said he viewed it as an opportunity to send a message to his offensive line.

"If you're going to win championships, if you're going to win games, you've got to be able to knock people off the ball and gain a yard, particularly on your favorite run play that's been successful for you," he said.

Virginia couldn't the first time it tried. And it couldn't the rest of the day, either.

Ed Miller, (757) 446-2372, ed.miller@pilotonline.com